Article July 14, 2003 Issue

faith in the family

5 stories from around the world

with contributions from Maranatha Ruggeri Millani, Audrey Sentinella, By Anti Allikas, Theresia Nsangli-nange

Millions of families , billions of families, inhabit our shared planet. Their faces and customs and concerns are undoubtedly varied beyond categorization. But at the same time the essential forces that bind these people together are just as undoubtedly similar the world over. Enduring qualities such as love, loyalty, nurturing, and perseverance amid struggle, are surely as central to the survival of humble families as to those of privilege, and are just as vital to the husband/wife team as to the extended family that numbers in the dozens.

For many of these worldwide families, some sort of faith tradition undergirds daily living and serves as a path to family strength and security. And in this there's unity. Because whatever faith they have, these family members are in a real sense following a shared discipline and choosing a common walk that links them with one another. Whether people live their faith through taking communion on Sunday morning, praying five times daily, becoming godparents to the children of friends, gathering together to read and discuss holy Scriptures, or simply enjoying each other's company in silent affection, they are engaged in activity that looks beyond limited, personal spheres and reaches out into a larger community, one that is sometimes called the world family.

The families featured in this section come from different countries and continents. Their backgrounds are varied—just a small representation of that great, worldwide diversity. And yet their faith is arguably one faith—the trust in, the reliance on, a good, supreme, abiding force to guide, sustain, and heal them. Through their accounts, the assurance grows stronger, little by little, that this supreme power called God is at the center of the faithful family.

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A golfer who prays
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