Reflection
The whole world is my family.
Pope John XXIII
Although the ancient traditions tell the same story, science has discovered that all life had its origins in the same cosmic explosion that occurred approximately 14 billion years ago. We are all made of the same elements; we are all related. We are made from stardust and the whole world is our family. If we could expand our minds to really believe that, then the pain and joy, the deprivation and well-being, the danger and safety of all people would be as important to us as if they were occurring to the members of our immediate families. We would want to extend to all people the care, concern, and assistance we would extend to our relatives who might be in the same circumstances, because, we would see one another as kin and outreach and love might replace indifference or hatred. Then we could accept all cultures, all races, all recent expressions of family with respect and trying to build a world of peace and sufficiency for all would replace conflict and greed.
Prayer
That all may be one.
Action
Consider your concept of family in the context of John XXIII’s words. What is your attitude toward the concepts of the new science? Are there expressions of family with which you have some discomfort? Where can you situate your thinking about the human family?
Suggested Reading
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
Psalm 133:1
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2
We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family
Pope Francis.
My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Families hold societies together, and intergenerational relationships extend this legacy over time. This year’s International Day of Families is an occasion to celebrate connections among all members of the constellation that makes up a family. It is also an opportunity to reflect on how they are affected by social and economic trends – and what we can do to strengthen families in response.
Ban Ki-moon
The future of peace and prosperity that we seek for all the world’s peoples needs a foundation of tolerance, security, equality and justice. That foundation is the family. It is only by protecting families, from famine as well as from fragmentation, that they can prosper and contribute to the family of nations that is the United Nations.
Kofi Annan
So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.
Bahaullah
The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.
Thomas Paine
While the spirit of neighborliness was important on the frontier because neighbors were so few, it is even more important now because our neighbors are so many.
Lady Bird Johnso
There are realities we all share, regardless of our nationality, language, or individual tastes. As we need food, so do we need emotional nourishment: love, kindness, appreciation, and support from others. We need to understand our environment and our relationship to it. We need to fulfill certain inner hungers: the need for happiness, for peace of mind — for wisdom.
Swami Kriyananda
Even though we may look different or come from different places, we are all part of one race. The human race. In this beautiful world we live in, we are all one.”
Medea Kalantar