Family Relationships

We can imagine that spiritually inspired parents must have provided the best life they possibly could. I don't think that Joseph and Mary or Elizabeth and Zachariah used drugs or contemplated divorce. They must have honored their own fathers and mothers and they must have honored one another. I don't think they taught their children that war was an answer, nor do I think they wanted their sons to go to war. And there were no nursing homes in their day. They cared for aging parents at home.


I think Mary and Joseph lived and taught love by example. I think they were kind and loving and I think they took their roles in the family seriously. We can imagine that Mary and Joseph had significant relationships with Elizabeth, Zachariah, and John the Baptist and Jesus' grandmothers and grandfathers. We can imagine John and Jesus playing together as children. What kind of life did they have? What kind of life do we have?

In many cases, economic and political events and conditions separate families. This cannot be good. Would we have had a John or a Jesus if their families had broken up, if Joseph had been a drinker or if Mary had chosen a career over family? I am all for women having a career, I myself am a teacher, but I think when career interferes with the welfare of the children there is a problem. Unfortunately today, economic conditions in too many cases force a choice for both fathers and mothers between enough time at home, paying the rent and putting food on the table and quality with their families.

While we live in a society that says family first, the economics do not support family. Our jails are full of people who have had for the most part, no real family life to speak of. How many of today's societal ills would be cured by a significant change in how we care for the poor.

Instead of funding more jails, we need to fund housing; we need to increase salaries; we need to fund health care. I recently saw a film called "Bowling for Columbine." The directors agenda was to investigate why we have so much violence in this country. At one point the director takes us to Canada. According to this documentary, in Canada the poor are supported and the crime rate is virtually nil; they have a government structured to provide national health care, education and housing and food for all. An interesting film.

In some countries, mothers and fathers are forced to watch their children starve to death or their family members die or be injured due to war. What mother or father wants to see their child go to war? Why do we have war?