Family Solidarity

If you would like to support the work of Clear View Retreat, please click here https://www.clearviewretreat.org/get-involved/donate/. TRANSCRIPT: Good morning, Five Minute Families. Thank you for joining us this morning. The citizens of the United States of America have been facing the realities of disunity in recent years. Of course, elements of disunity have always been there, but there are times when disunity rises to a fever-pitched and must be addressed anew. This idea of American unity and disunity got me to thinking about how a family moves forward when disunity reigns. Unity is defined as “oneness; the quality or state of being made one; or the state of those who are in full agreement.” We all know that families are not always united. We do not continuously have one purpose in mind or common interests that keep us connected. So, what can we do when we are not united or feel distinctly divided? We suggest another tactic, especially if unity seems more of a stretch in this season of your family life… Solidarity. Solidarity means providing mutual support within a group or to a particular group. Often, unity and solidarity are used interchangeably, yet I don’t think they are synonymous. Unity can simply happen with like-minded folks, but family solidarity takes a different level of intentionality. I am not talking about being angry at the person who angered your child; I am not talking about agreeing with your spouse when you completely disagree in your heart. I am talking about choosing to take a stand and support someone who is different than you, even though you may share a last name or a home. I don’t agree with everything my children do, especially my adult children, but I support them in their efforts to become God-honoring individuals. And, that is going to look a lot different for each one of them and from what I thought it would look like. But, I am committed to my family - to their well-being and to their growth, so I choose a position of solidarity. Mike Tenney suggests we consider solidarity