First New Posting

I have long believed that God intended from the very beginning for us to live in relationship, with Him and with each other. Our greatest desire, whether we realize it or not, is to know others and to be known by others; and to be loved for what we are. It is my firm belief that the Creator of the heavens and the earth positioned men and women in relation to each other and fully intended for us to find each other as a lost part of ourselves, to know and be known, to need and be needed, to want and enjoy another being, given by The Being.

This is the story we find ourselves in. Caught between two dangers: a hyper-spiritual danger that says, "It is good enough for humans to be alone, so all they need is God," and a hyper-secular danger that says, "It is good enough for human beings to be with another created being,. Forget about the Supreme Being from whom all being and blessings flow." Neither of these options is good enough. The only viable option in this story for us human beings is to live in relationship with our Creator and with our fellow creatures - in whom we find a lost part of ourselves restored to us again.

I think this is why we are cautioned about being "unequally yoked." (2 Cor 6:14) What God is warning against - actually commanding against - is any kind of bonded relationship with those holding different spiritual values. In our core we head in two different directions. To commit to a relationship with one not committed to Christ is to set up a frustration, discouragement or anxiety that is repeatedly cautioned against throughout His Word.

In this story we find ourselves in, the Genesis version of it, I begin to realize that in removing a rib from Adam God seemingly wants him (and us) to feel incomplete by design. We feel an ache inside by ourselves, as if a part of us is missing, wrenched from our very soul, so that we will always look outside of ourselves for belonging and connection. And so in this story we find ourselves in we live in a fallen garden, with all other created beings around us - but we can still walk with God in the cool of the day.

This is not just my story, it's everyone's.