Claim. Grandparents represent God within the family, so love for grandparents trains love for the oldest Grandfather, God.
Elaboration. SMM criticizes family systems that favor the young while marginalizing the elderly, saying they do not fit “the original form” (CSG 4.2 §5, 107-328, 1980.6.8). The positive image is a daughter-in-law joyfully serving wrinkled grandparents, from whom she can receive “everything to do with love.” The key identification follows: “Who is the oldest grandfather in the world? It is God. So you learn love for that Grandfather from your own grandfather.” Grandparents are also described as sleepless protectors who pray over the family. Their authority is therefore not merely seniority; parents should seek the grandfather’s permission because “the grandfather stands in the position of God.”
See also. family