Relationships...Isn't this what it's all about?

As this wonderful excerpt from Henri Nouwen came across my inbox, I was reminded of one of our recent discussions (during the Hosea study) about idolatry. How easy it is for others (friends, teachers, spouses, our children) to become our idols. I thought this excerpt so clearly speaks to our recent discussion about why/how those relationships are intended to be.

Creating a Home Together

Many human relationships are like the interlocking fingers of two hands. Our loneliness makes us cling to each other, and this mutual clinging makes us suffer immensely because it does not take our loneliness away. But the harder we try, the more desperate we become. Many of these "interlocking" relationships fall apart because they become suffocating and oppressive. Human relationships are meant to be like two hands folded together. They can move away from each other while still touching with the fingertips. They can create space between themselves, a little tent, a home, a safe place to be. True relationships among people point to God. They are like prayers in the world. Sometimes the hands that pray are fully touching, sometimes there is distance between them. They always move to and from each other, but they never lose touch. They keep praying to the One who brought them together.

These reflections are taken from Henri J.M. Nouwen's Bread for the Journey.