Our Large Italian Family

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:11-18a ESV).

Today is the Little Italy Festival of Galveston County. It is being held in Dickinson, one of my boyhood hometowns. This annual event is times to occur on the Saturday prior to the feast day of St Joseph, honoring and exhibiting Sicilian-Italian customs, traditions, food, and culture. Mary and I were so looking forward to being there this year. Of course, her recuperation is not at the point where she can make the trip this year. We were looking forward most of all to seeing some old friends and family we have been geographically separated from for decades. The picture I’ve included today is a family gathering from the maternal side of my family. As you can see, we had a large Italian family! Oh, I’m the boy standing behind the woman seated in the center front row. I was about ten years old at the time. I am prompted to point all of us to our larger family. Most of the adults, as well as some of the children in this photo are now deceased. However, because of the grace of God shown to us in the work of Christ, we will all be reunited. This reunion will be much larger and last forever. Just like there will be Italians at the festival who are only related by their common heritage and experiences, so then our reunion will be with the full community of faith. There is one other thing I’d call your attention to as well. It is in this community that others come to believe in God’s love, because it takes the love of fellow believers to give the real- life experience of God’s love. Indeed, “if we love one another, God lives in us.” This means we can experience God fully only in community. Of course, we can also have solitary moments of God-consciousness. But it is in community where we grow to know the fullness of God’s love. “If we love one another … his love is made complete in us.” I’m sorry I won’t be able to see my Italian family today, but there is a day coming when we will all be together forever! Is that true for you?