Allison Campbell Jensen

Church people—and I’ve been one for about 14 years now—often refer to “our church family.” While the cynical self that I was raised to be might raise an eyebrow at this catchphrase, my Christian side that now I feed finds it so very apt. Our parish, our church family, has conflicts: People feel distressed at changes, others believe they are not heard, decisions about money divide some and a few struggle to take the alpha position.

But our family ties? Not human blood but the blood of Christ connects us. Not physical birth but adoption into the family of God. Not loyalty to a family name but fealty to a greater Reality.

And that Alpha position? Alpha and Omega: Taken.

Those connections, that community, this family often are the terms I use to explain why I became I Christian after being raised without church, without God—even scoffing at God for a time. This commitment does not make life easier. Actually, following Christ calls me and us to serve the poor and to welcome the outcast, not to speak of loving one another (even those we don’t agree with or find annoying—see above). Yet that love carries me to the next unexpected step along a path that is unclear but bright. It’s all about Love: unfailing love.