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John 19:25-27 – At the foot of the cross 

Traditionally, ‘Mothering Sunday’ was a time when people would visit their ‘mother church’ usually with their own mothers. Eventually, it became the day when domestic servants were given a day off to visit family.

On this theme of family, the reading from John’s Gospel takes us to the Crucifixion, and at the foot of the Cross, we find those closest to Jesus. Turning to his mother Jesus says, “This is your son”, and to the disciple John “This is your mother”, making them dependent upon one another in what will be a challenging and dangerous time ahead.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu said “You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them”.

This sense that we should feel a responsibility to care for one another in challenging times is at the heart of the Christian faith. We are called to consider the needs of others as if they were our own.

Crews on ships see themselves as family, especially and necessarily so in hard and dangerous times. A Chaplain recalls when at the seafarer’s centre in came an older bosun and a young cadet. The bosun pointed to the walls of the centre and the Flying Angel logo and said to the cadet, “This is your family, and this is your home. Wherever you are in the world, look for this sign”. The Mission strives to be a ‘home away from home’ where seafarers can relax, feel safe and get the help they need. To reflect the care we are called to have for one another.