Relationship

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”‘? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions .Matthew 22:41-46

After my oldest child was born and began going to nursery school, I learned an amazing thing about my identity. I was no loner Carol, but Emily's mother. And it was so with my other two daughter's as well. I was Ariel's mom, or Phoebe's mom, not myself alone. It never upset me, rather it has reminded me that our Cherokee people always tell us to consider who we are responsible for. We are all identified in relationship to others. We are all from another's body, all of us dependent on our families and communities. We are all dependent on our Creator.

Loving Creator, you make us in your image

you put your heart within each of us

you give us your insight and compassion

your love surrounds us and moves us forward.

Help us to live into our relations and responsibilities

and the gifts you have given us for the world's care.

Make us your people identified as yours alone. Amen.