Great News: You're Not an Umbrella

Debunking the strange and tired trope which depicts the Christian family as a multi-tiered umbrella hierarchy.

If you’ve lived in Christian circles long enough, you’ve probably encountered the infamous umbrella graph or some variation of it:

The meme is intended to outline a hierarchy for Christian families. Jesus at the top, then dad, then mom, then the little kiddies.

At first glance, it might seem like a good idea. It might even seem biblical, especially since it’s labeled, “Biblical Order of the Family.” The problem is, it’s unbiblical and actually heretical in several ways.

Let’s think it through logically (and with a bit of humor):

1. We Have One Mediator

In the graph, the husband stands between Jesus and the wife. This is a heresy. The only mediator between women or wives and God is Jesus. Not men. Not husbands. Jesus. She has a direct line to Heaven.

I find it particularly ironic when Reformed or Reformedish Christians endorse this hierarchical model, because a main impetus for the Reformation was that nobody stands between us and Jesus. They’re sliding back into old and debunked bad theology by making husbands into little popes.

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” 1 Timothy 2:5-6a

And then of course, in the meme, we’ve got the husband and wife between Jesus and the kids, which is a repetition of this same heresy.

2. Legalistic Roles & Rules Undermine Jesus

You’ll notice that in this particular meme, the bottom three umbrellas have “biblical roles” written underneath them. The husband is to protect and provide, the wife is to comfort and teach, and the kids are to love and obey.

It’s a bit odd that only the kids are required to love. Even weirder still is that there are no roles written under the Christ Umbrella at all! You’d think that whoever made this would have put something like Salvation, Redemption, or Intercession as his roles. Instead, they left it blank.

And this, I think, is extremely important from a psychological standpoint, because it tells us something about the priorities of whoever made this meme. They were more concerned with the works of people than they were with the works of Christ.

Legalism (an over-emphasis on rules and the actions of people to earn or deserve God’s love) always undermines the work of Jesus. Because, if I think that I need to earn or deserve God’s love and forgiveness … what did Jesus die for?

3. Christ is Sufficient

Why are there layers of umbrellas? The purpose of an umbrella (a literal umbrella) is to protect us from rain or maybe the sun if you’re at the beach. If the Christ Umbrella is doing an adequate job of protecting you from the weather, the bottom three umbrellas are totally pointless. Why are they there? Are they adding or improving upon Christ’s work?

And what does the rain symbolize? What is Christ protecting the family from? God's wrath? Presumably. But in that case, what’s the husband protecting the wife from? Bits of God’s wrath that Jesus missed or wasn’t big enough to catch? That’s another heresy. If we believe that Christ is sufficient, we don’t need additional layers of umbrella catching the rain.

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:13-15

So, congrats. You are not an umbrella.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Have a great weekend!

Much love,

Jenn