The Terrible Lie: Nuclear Family Vs. Singleness
We have bought and believed a terrible lie as a society and in way too many churches. It's one of the most destructive kinds of deceptions ever embraced by humanity.
Over the last 75+ years, we've abandoned our communities, especially the Church, for a misguided idea that the nuclear family is the be all and end all of all things. This has led to the lie that people have only two options in their lives:
1. Find someone to marry and have kids
2. Remain single, alone, and isolated
This is utterly absurd. These have never been the only two options throughout human history, but it is what we've been reduced to.
As Christians, we must think bigger than the nuclear family or singleness. As the only two options, they lead people into isolation and loneliness. This is not what we should be encouraging as Christ's Church.
Why would I say this?
Because you've been adopted as God's children in the Body of Christ. Your family is massive. Think about it... How can a body part function independently from the rest of the Body? It can't. When a body part is cut off and isolated, it decays and returns to dust.
What we should be doing is re-integrating our lives with one another in the Body of Christ. This is what the Church is all about... Bringing us into communion with one another through baptism, the Eucharist, the feasts, fellowship, discipleship, and carrying one another's burdens.
The Church brings us into communion with one another and with God.
If you're married and lonely. If you're single and lonely. If you're stressed out to the max. If you're trying to chase the world's idea of meaning and purpose... You NEED the Church.
Making matters worse is churches have bought into the lie. How many churches actually function in community instead of creating more programs that incentivize isolation. One of the things I've come to love about the Orthodox Church is that kids are not separated from parents for worship. They don't have their own programs. They are taught community from a young age. There are feasts, festivals, studies, service opportunities, and support groups that are ongoing on all week long.
The Body of Christ is a community. It's a hospital for the sick. It's a place of spiritual healing away from the deceptions and sicknesses of society. If you haven't found a church that thinks like this, you need to --- and FAST!
The point is this... you weren't meant to live with your nuclear family behind four walls in isolation or be single. You have a faith and a family that will last for eternity. Are you ready to embrace it?