One of my favorite scenes in the Bible is when Jesus walks on the water of the Sea of Galilee and calls St. Peter to come out to Him. And Peter does it. He steps out of the boat and onto the water, and he walks toward Our Lord. But then he notices the wind and the storm around him, and he begins to sink. It’s easy to imagine how his fear must have risen as he sank into the cold water. He had been a fisherman on that sea probably his whole life; he knew the dangers and treacheries of the sea during a storm. Perhaps he had seen men drown, or perhaps he simply knew of those who had gone out onto the water and never came back.
We’re all familiar with the phrase “we are all God’s children.” It is frequently asserted as an affirmation of the universal brotherhood of man. It’s a good reminder of the need to respect and care for our neighbor, despite whatever differences we may have. Black or white, young or old, rich or poor, we are all God’s children. But is it theologically true that everyone, whether Christian or not, is a child of God? The answer is both yes and no.