Family

 In the wee hours of the morning, I lost a friend. Brian did, too. 

 Correction: I lost a brother. 

Anthony+ was my brother. 

 As I've grown a lot older and a wee bit wiser, I've decided that " Family" is not always synonymous with " relatives". Some relatives are too toxic to be family while others put their own self-righteous political/religious views over seeing people as our Creator sees us. 

It happens a lot. 

If we are fortunate enough to have relatives who are also family {and I DO have many such blood kin who are family} that is a blessing.  I've learned the hard way that sharing DNA with people makes them relatives-- but NOT always family. 

Family are people whom we want in our lives. 

They are people who might not always agree with us but love us nonetheless. Family are folks who see beyond human-made constructs such as geography and {and this is a BIG one} politics: They might not like our choices/ positions/ and even actions but they love us. 

At the same time, family are people who want us to live up to our God-given potential and are not afraid to do some truth-telling when needed. Some of my very favorite sisters are women whom I love in part because they will and do wake me up with some tough love. I've another brother, also a priest in this Diocese, who will not put up with any of my shit, either. 

Anthony+ was my brother. 

Ken+ is my brother.  

I'm blessed with one awesome biological brother, Matt. 

Yet I know that there are people in my life who do not consider their biological siblings as family. I wish that society as a whole would see the difference between relatives and family. Society as a whole glorified biological family to the point of idolatry in some instances. 

I lost an older brother today, and this is a loss that will take some time to process. I plan to deal with my own grief by doing the best I can to be a good family member to Anthony+s widow, their children, and his congregation. 

Many people lost a brother today. Anthony + was an only child, but he leaves behind so many siblings-in-Christ's-Love. 

Kyrie Elesion...

Sarah Beth McCarren