The Holy Spirit enables us to be members of God's family. This means that all others are our brothers and sisters. What is the practical meaning of this truth in your daily relations with other people?The reality that the Holy Spirit makes us all brothers and sisters is both reassuring and demanding at the same time. It is reassuring that I don't have to do any of this alone. I am surrounded by people who love me and whom I can love, people who encourage me and whom I can encourage. I am connected to this great family, both here and around the world and throughout time. I have roots that go back thousands of years.
This great mystery is also demanding. It means that I am responsible fro the welfare of all these brothers and sisters. I can't go around treating people however I want or ignoring them altogether. I am called to love my friends, but I'm also called to love the teacher I don't really get along with, the kid who drives me cay and never listens, the person who takes my credit card at Target, the family with no food, the guy with HIV, the hungry kid on the other side of the world, the soldier fighting for the other side. In some way I am connected to each of these people. I am to treat them with love, even when it is difficult, I am to care for them, even when it requires sacrifice, and I am to pray for them. They are my brothers and sisters and that demands a lot!
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