This week's devotion is from Pastor Zach.

Matthew 12:46-50

46 While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 48 But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

No matter who are. No matter where you go in life.
You gon’ need somebody to stand by you.

Every Saturday, street musician Roger Ridley would drive four and a half hours from his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, to his spot on Third Avenue in Santa Monica, California, sing his set, then drive home. He ad-libbed the words above when he would sing Stand By Me, a Pinecrest standard. His music was picked up, and served to begin an organization called “Playing for Change,” which brought musicians around the world together-from-afar to create music videos that broadened listeners’ idea of the human family. It wasn’t until after Roger died that his wife found out he was part of this, as she discovered the video of him singing the song (which you can watch here!).

Jesus tells us that whoever does the will of God is family. That hurts my brain a bit. Everyone? How do we know what the will of God is? What if we’ve never met? There’s something really daunting in trying to conceive of that sort of family, but also something really beautiful.

When we spread love and care and compassion, and when we speak up for those treated as less-than, and when the needs of others are met, we’re doing the will of God—all of scripture testifies to that. And, despite what might be going on in the world, there’s a lot of people doing good; doing the will of God. Which means that our family is real big, y’all. Thank goodness, because I know I can’t do this life alone!

This Lent, listening to the music of Playing for Change has been a bit of my own devotional, though it’s been a long time since their original stuff was recorded. It gives me hope in a family greater than what I can observe on any given day, and points me to the love of family Jesus talks about in Matthew’s gospel. Because no matter who you are, and no matter where you go in life, you’re gonna need somebody to stand by you.

A prayer for the human family:

O God, you made us in your own image
and redeemed us through Jesus your Son.
Look with compassion on the whole human family;
take away the arrogance and hatred that infect our hearts;
break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love;
and, through our struggle and confusion,
work to accomplish your purposes on earth;
so that, in your good time,
every people and nation may serve you
in harmony around your heavenly throne;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.