Family is a strong theme of the Feast of Tabernacles. Many families are scattered geographically, the Feast can be a rare opportunity to get together and have all the family at one location. That is wonderful. At the same time, we also need to devote attention to connecting with our spiritual Family at the Feast.

God’s purpose for physical family is not limited to the human-level relationships. God’s ultimate purpose for every individual is to expand His Family. He made humans in order to make God beings. He uses the family dynamic in His Church today to advance that process. The Feast is a family affair; but it isn’t just a Smith, or a Jones, or a Burns family affair—it’s a God Family affair.

Shortly before Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, He prayed a heartfelt prayer for us (John 17:20). He asked the Father to build the God Family desire in us: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us …. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one” (verses 21-22). The Father and the Son desire to add us to their glorious Family.

“[N]ow there is an expanded, family vision!” Gerald Flurry writes. “Billions of human beings can now be brought into the God Family. Jesus Christ has totally embraced the family relationship. … This is the Family vision; this is what the Bible is all about. It is about bringing mankind into God’s Family! … God wants us in His Family. He came to this Earth to open up the Family of God to man—to invite man into His Family” (The God Family Vision).

God certainly wants us to enjoy the Feast with our physical families. But we should always try to align our thinking and our actions with His purpose. The Feast of Tabernacles is the perfect time to grow in God’s love for the entire Family.

The Feast expands our vision of what “family” really is—not just in a symbolic way but in a real, practical and meaningful way.

We absolutely want to make sure our own personal family is fully cared for during the feast. At the same time, the real family emphasized in the fulfillment of the days we celebrate is God’s Family. We must make the effort to get to know and grow in love for all of God’s people.

The Apostle Paul describes us as “holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” (Hebrews 3:1). We are called by God into an integral part of His great plan for all mankind. As the very elect, the firstfruits, the Bride of Jesus Christ, we have a special bond that only a minute few share out of billions of beings. Each person God calls at this time is very special to God. How special is every other Feast-goer to you? When we comprehend the depth of our calling, it should stir up a passion for unity, oneness and godly love for each other. We have a common heritage, and we are here to develop friendships that make us closer than physical family (Proverbs 18:24).

Unity doesn’t come naturally. It takes effort. Our natural inclination is to remain within our comfortable clique of family and friends. Time with them is important. But the Feast pictures the time of great expansion in the God Family. We can live that today through expansive Feast fellowship.

Make a conscious effort to get acquainted with as many other members as you can. Don’t wait for others to seek you out.

Here is a practical approach. In many of our congregations, our Sabbath experiences often include shared meals. Everybody brings a dish of food to share with other members of the congregation. When someone asks about how much to bring, we typically tell them, “Enough for your family, plus one.”

This “plus one” principle is easily applied to our Feast activities. When you make dinner plans with your personal family, invite a “plus one”—one more person you don’t know very well. When you make plans to take your grandchildren to the zoo, invite a “plus one.” When you make plans for an afternoon activity with your close friends, invite a “plus one.”

God gives us so many Feast opportunities to expand family ties. The seniors, singles and teens have dedicated activities. Bring the “plus one” approach into those experiences. On Family Day, don’t just gravitate to the familiar—think “plus one.” These activities, in addition to daily services, are also great opportunities to find a “plus one” and make future plans.

Jesus said, “For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother” (Mark 3:35). He considers those who are carrying out God’s purpose as personal family. We ought to think the same about each other. Our Feast fellowship is both a measure of our love for one another and an opportunity to grow in that love. Doing so can be as simple as adding a “plus one.”