Recently I had the gift of a visit from our dear ones, Nathan and Keelia, whom we’ve missed so much during our time in Oxford.( If only international travel were free—I keep trying to find someone to make that happen!) As we gathered around tables at our home here and in local restaurants, walked historical streets, visited a few tourist spots, and admired flowers in the parks all along the way, I often found myself remembering conversations over tables many years ago.
… the necessity of a strong family culture doesn’t stop once the kids foray out into the world. If anything, it becomes more important. I certainly see this in my own children. Finding friends with similar values, strong faith, and compatible souls has been challenging for all of them, and all of them at times have wrestled with deep loneliness. Yet now we see them practicing their own relational rhythms—many of them the same as what we practiced at home—in other parts of the world with their roommates, spouse, and friends.
On top of that, they still have us—and they have each other! Because their relationships were shaped over thousands of meals together, over the same books and music and films, through hours of intense discussion and enthusiastic play, they have a lot in common and a deep love for one another. So they return home, to deep roots, whenever they can just to experience that kind of fellowship once again. The table that shaped their lives is now the table that renews and refreshes them when they are able to come home.
Creating family culture is so important in our increasingly busy and overcommitted society. A sense of isolation and a strong desire for community are both common threads on the Internet, yet personal relationships seem elusive for so many. People search for meaning and validation through frenzied lifestyles but still feel lost in a sea of relative meaninglessness. An intentionally developed family culture can provide a powerful alternative.
