To the Sibling Who Still Hurts

“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.”

Matthew 18:15

I know the name of your brother, your sister, the relative on the other side of this fight that has already lasted longer than it should have. I know about the family gatherings where you avoid looking at each other, the messages that were never answered, the silence that has become normal on days that should be filled with joy.

I didn't create family to be a cold war zone. I created it to be a place where my love is learned first, before any other place. That's why I'm asking you: reach out to that person. Not through social media, not through messages passed along by a third party. Face to face, or at least voice to voice, however you can manage it.

You don't control how they'll respond. But you do control whether you take the first step. I took the first step toward you when we were still enemies because of sin. If I did that for you, you can do this for someone who shares your own blood.