My Sister Nancy has identical twin sons and two older sons. One of my nieces has twin sons also, but they are fraternal, not identical. It has been fascinating to follow their growing up and the ways in which twins differ from “singles.” In both cases the boys are very close and engaged in most of the same activities. My niece’s sons both joined the same soccer team for the first time, and their parents were very pleased. It meant only one trip to practice or to games each week. The boys prefer each other’s company, but mingle well with others, especially if their brother is nearby. They don’t always agree, but they always find common ground or drop the conversation.

What amazes me about these two sets of twins is that their closeness is remarkably alike; whether they are “fraternal” or ”identical”, their preference for each other displays itself as the same. I couldn’t help thinking that the extraordinary bond between twins might not be primarily genetic at all. It may come from the physical closeness of the womb, family experience, and circumstances that kept them together, all of which implanted a permanent bond.

On the morning of his resurrection Jesus told Mary Magdalene to “Go and tell my brothers: (John 20:17) It was the first time that he had called his disciples “brothers,”as if their status changed in relationship to his resurrection. They would, in fact become inseparable from their “brother.”

I believe that it’s not simply “brotherhood” that Jesus seeks in each of us. Instead, I think that it is twinship. The invisible bond of twins that yields a shared identity is what happens when we come as children to the Living God. It’s the intimate relationship that erases barriers and unites us with Him through His Holy Spirit. “Let the Children come,” said Jesus, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven.” ((Matthew 19:14) Every child of God shares a close relationship with his or her twin brother. Jesus is and desires to be closer than a twin to each of us. Child, teenager,adult, or aged.

He came as an infant , grew into an adult, so that we might recognize his Spirit in our own lives. At Advent we can reconnect with our brother, and experience a twinship that satisfies our souls. Christmas is a time for children and for children in heart to experience the assurance of being with our brother, regardless of our age. God spoke to the prophet Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you.” (Jeremiah 1:5) We were born to be Jesus’ twins. God sent him to show us the way.

Love in Him,

Prue