A Thought On Relationships.

Soooooo I was thinking that this would be difficult for me to do once a week, but not for the reason I have recently determined- I thought I would have trouble coming up with things to post about but as it turns out, I may have trouble limiting myself so I've decided not to impose limits or deadlines and just go with flow. Hence, I am back already with what may or may not be another lengthy, albeit thought provoking (hopefully), blog for my faithful readers.

I was reading today from a book called "Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them," by John Ortberg- a book assigned for my Foundations of Residence Life class. I read a bit about relationships that really clicked with me, especially since they have been on the mind (see previous post). I'll preface it with a lengthier passage, think about that one for a bit, then compliment it with a quote that I think goes nicely. Here goes:

"We were made to know oneness. That is why loneliness is so painful.

In the story of the Creation in the book of Genesis, a little refrain keeps recurring:

'And God said... and it was so... and God saw that it was good.'

The writer is emphasizing that everything that exists is the effortless activity of an unimaginably powerful God, and all of it is unspeakably delightful:

This is the song of Creation: 'And God said... and it was so... and God saw that it was good.'

Until the final act-- when the song comes to a screeching halt.

God creates man in his own image. God looks at this man, who bears his likeness, and he says, 'Not good.' Why does God look at man and say 'Not good?' Because he likes women better?

Not quite. This is a radical comment about the findamental importance of human relationships.

What is striking is that the Fall has not yet occured. There is no sin, no disobedience, nothing, to mar the relationship between God and man.

The human being is in a state of perfect intimacy with God. EAch word he and God speak with each other is filled with closeness and joy; he walks with God in the garden in the cool of the day. He is known and loved to the core of his being by his omniscient, love-filled Creator. Yet the word God uses to describe him is 'alone.' And God says that this aloneness is 'not good.'

Some times in church circles when epole feel lonely, we tell them not to expect too much from human relationships, that there is inside every human being a God-shaped void that no other person can fill. That is true. But apparently, according to the writer of Genesis, God creates inside this man a kind of 'human-shaped void' that God himself will not fill."

I think he's right. I think a person can be good and well based solely on his relationship with God- infact, it's necessary to be in communion with God to be a truely good place, but he cannot be completely happy if he is in solitude from other people while here on earth. He also can't be fufilling God's plan for us, to share the Good News with the rest of the world, if he builds no relationships with other people. I also think that the wording of the last sentance, "a kind of 'human-shaped void' that God himself will not fill," is important. It's not that God cannot fill that void (of course He can, He created it.) but that he chooses not too. It is His will that we love and be loved by other people. So here is the last quote:

"I will seek your good; I will share your joy and hurt;

we will know a kind of oneness, you and I."

I think that this is how were meant to interact with other people. This is how God interacts with us and because we were created in His image, by Him, it is only right that we emulate it, as best as we understand it, in our interactions and relationships with those we come in contact with. It's my prayer for myself and for all of you, that we might become better at loving other people, as well as recieving love ourselves so that our relationships might be a glimpse of the kind of relationships that God desires with each of us individually.