‘our father in heaven’
Foundation for the idea of universal family
April 17th 2013
The idea of universal brotherhood is contained in the first words of the prayer taught by Jesus: ‘Our Father in heaven’. When we address God the Creator by saying ‘Our Father’, how can we think he is the Father of only a few? He is the Father of all human beings, for he gave them all life. So, when we say people are brothers and sisters, we have to understand the idea of brotherhood as the highest expression of life.
Even if it is difficult to give a precise definition of life, we can say it is the result of the relationship that exists between all the constituent elements of the great cosmic body of the universe. No element can survive if it remains isolated, cut off from the others. Isolation always brings death – if not physical, at least spiritual death. Life, on the other hand, is found in the relationships, the brotherhood and the love that should exist between all creatures.