My maiden name is Schmeling (pronounced sch-mailing). Good German roots from both sides, I have been told. My Dad even ordered a coat of arms to hang in our living room (and those were the days when you couldn’t just order online, deep research had to be done). We had beer steins and felt like Octoberfest was our celebration. Family members visited Germany as the land of our ancestors.
Imagine our surprise when my brother sent his DNA away, just for fun, and it came back that we were predominantly Irish. What?! DNA doesn’t lie. Put away the lederhosen and get out the kilts! The Irish have the reputation of being more fun than the stoic Germans. What new life could this bring to our family? We laughed and joked continuously about this new revelation but there was also a deep sadness about the heritage we lost. Weren’t we German to the core? There were foundational stories that we were told about our great-grandparents. Did they originally come from Ireland and move to Germany? There were so many questions.
Have you experienced something that has shaken who you are to the core? How did you get through it?
Unlike most life-changing news and events, we didn’t have to ruminate on this new revelation for long. My brother received an apology letter about a month later about the DNA mix-up. We were indeed German to the core. For a time, our history had changed but the more relevant lesson for us was that the community that we grew up in and the experiences we had shaped our lives, not necessarily our DNA. More importantly, our faith in our ever-present and loving God, passed on through generations, had led our family through a myriad of life experiences regardless of the outcomes we expected or hoped for.
My quiet, deeply faithful Grandpa Schmeling passed away at 92. He held his faith so firmly and as a true comfort through the many challenges of his life including immigrant parents, war, the Great Depression, the loss of a son at two years old, and the death of his beloved wife 30 years earlier. As we reflect on hope in our weary world during this Advent season, there has been weariness in every generation, yet the hope that comes through Jesus is our constant sanctuary. It has guided us through the twists and turns in our families’ lives and will always be our beacon of light.
The story of the birth of Jesus and the life that enabled him to be the force that changes the world is the greatest story that influences our lives and generations before us. It is that hope and love that can permeate through our history, even our DNA. For the Lord is good, his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:5
Holding you close in thought and prayer as we honor our history and live into the hope that Jesus brings today and always.
In Christ’s love,
Angie Seiller, Director of Faith Formation