Article March 16, 2015 Issue

One Father, one family

Audrey Richardson

“Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?” (Malachi 2:10). These questions profoundly urge us to search our hearts to see if we know and practice in our daily lives that, as the image, or expression, of God, we are all brothers and sisters in God’s universal family—not divided by race, gender, age, class, or ethnicity, but entirely spiritual, reflecting the oneness of God. In the United States and throughout the world today, we see evidence of division and strife that cries out for our prayerful attention.

I had an experience some years ago that taught me a valuable lesson about our place in God’s family. I was given a teaching assignment to work with a small group of first and second graders who needed an extra boost to become better readers. From the first day, one student made it clear that she did not want to be in the class, didn’t like me, and didn’t want to participate. I prayed daily about this and made every effort to engage her and let her know she was valued.

Innocence, purity, and cooperation were what really gave evidence of this child’s identity.