i've been thinking about friendship, community, and relationships lately. (part of this may be due to the fact that I am reading "Four Loves" by C.S. Lewis. darn you, Lewis--you make me think!)
...
it's interesting how inextricably woven together we are as human beings. yet, on the same hand, we find ourselves fiercely independent of each other.
we need each other. we need laughter and hugs and a listening ear. we need long talks and a hand to hold. we need confession, exhortation, and correction.
yet, we need autonomy. we need space. we need to "own" our own decisions and feel like we are staying true to our sense of self. we need solitude and peace and quiet.
we are connected, yet separated. our minds, actions, and wills are our own. we learn and grow from one another. we become better versions of ourselves.
but ourselves we will always be.
our decisions are just that...they are "ours." we can pray for one another. we can offer insight, guidance, and sometimes a good ol' smack in the face. yet, our realm of control only extends so far. each person must lie in the bed they have made.
connected, yet separate. and that's ok. it's actually a beautiful thing. longing for relationship, yet still finding ourselves alone with our own thoughts at the end of the day. loving, laughing, and listening, yet still solitary.
the truth is, we'll never feel complete. we'll never feel fully "known" or connected to others. and that's ok too. just like anything else, relationships and community can get off-kilter. instead, this tension, this vacuum, is meant to instill hope, an anticipation for the future. the hope that one day things will be different. when every tear is wiped away, and when we can finally see "face to face."
"now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12
and for that day we wait. til then, we walk this path alone...yet, together.
No comments:
Post a Comment