Hundreds of years ago John Donne inked the phrase “No man is an island”, a line in a poem that encapsulated the interconnectedness of humans. When Donne penned his words, he placed his finger on the pulse of humanity.
Our God is triune – one God manifest in three persons – the Father, the Son and the Spirit. The absolute unity of the three persons reveals that God’s nature, his very essence, his core being is relational. God brought forth many of the elements of creation with declarations “Let there be ...” (Genesis 1:1-25, but when it came to the creation of humans the Creator’s words and actions differed. He proclaimed, “Let us make man in our image...”. Notice the reference to the trinity in the use of plural pronouns. As he formed man from the dirt with his hands and breathed life into him, God fashioned humans in his likeness. Thus, as image bearers of God, our nature, our essence, our inner being is relational. We were created to crave community and connection.
God further reinforced this deep desire with another utterance “It is not good for man to be alone.” (Genesis 1:28) and he then created a soul mate for the sole mate. Each evening God purposefully chose to walk and talk with the pair until that communion was broken by sin. The entire redemptive story of the Scriptures is God seeking restoration of fellowship with fallen mankind.
When Jesus walked the earth, he was intentionally relational. He ministered to the masses, mentored twelve men and mingled with the marginalized. The early church was equally relational. Believers broke bread together from house to house. Its love for all caused the church to grow exponentially. But as time passed the church retreated into more cloistered Christianity and less connectivity.
Today loneliness is endemic. In our digital age, where human behavior has been reduced to algorithms and where human interaction is replaced by AI, people have never been hungrier for a human touch. You and I can encourage the church to return to its relational roots. For whenever we seek ways to connect with the lost, build friendships with the seeking, and help heal the hurting, we are revealing that we contain the DNA of our Heavenly Father. Because humans were wired for fellowship, by intentionally pouring our lives into relationships, you and I, as God’s image bearers, are living out our purpose - emulating the heart of our relational God.
*O God, I long to love what you love. In a materialistic world, help me to prioritize people. Please give me the compassion and patience to pursue relationships with even people who do not look like me, think like me, or act like me. *
Consider This: Out of all the things we value and spend our lives on, other people are the only ones we can take with us into eternity.
Photo Credit: Hoi An and Da Nang Photographer on Unsplash