When I was forced to live as a boy, we were taught to see this story to mean that Jesus rejected his family in favour of his followers.
And this was presented to us as a harsh but necessary decision.
That was because the school had forcibly separated us from our families.
This was supposed to be good for us, and prepare us to be men.
And manhood was a higher good, just as discipleship was a higher good…
Sometimes when I look back and consider the nonsense I was taught to be true, it amazes me I have any brain cells left at all.
(I was also taught that it’s bad for a growing boy to be too close to his mother)
I don’t know if it’s because of the translation, or whether it’s because I’m (more or less) clear of that trauma, but it seems clear today that what we’re talking about here is that we’re talking about an inclusive family.
A family whose love for each other doesn’t shut out the rest of the world…
…but instead embraces it.
(Mark 3:31-35)
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