These are the moments that breathe meaning and beauty into the miraculous gift that is every day of our rather short lives.
When I read about the tender power of God as he intricately, gently, and wonderfully crafted man from the very dust of the earth - I am moved by the staggering intimacy that the very breath of our loving Creator was the air that filled our lungs and caused our body to pulse with life and being. And yet, despite the remarkable work of bringing forth what was once not, the story has not reached it’s climax. The Divine Craftsman looked upon the child of Earth, the miraculous existence that was a fragile reflection of his own Majesty, and his words were: “It is not good for him to be alone.” In a place where all things under the sun and of the sun were good and perfect and right, there was in Adam’s loneliness, one not good thing. And the Merciful Righter-of-Wrongs gave relationship to man, and the unsurpassable gifts of Union, Love and Friendship, came bursting forth into our reality.
At the very core of God is relationship. He exists in Three, each vivid manifestation of his goodness dancing in perfect Love with the other - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God, in all that he is, is not alone, and we, bearers of his divine image, are not created to be alone. Humans are, in fact, made for each other.
Though our tendency as humans is often to crumble into ourselves, to isolate and consume our energy and time with self-absorbed thoughts and selfish ambition, and to protect ourselves from rejection, misunderstanding and the other pains that humans will inevitably inflict on one another, it is not how we were created to live.
We were created for each other.
This is what I think when my friend brings me flowers on a day when I feel sad. Or when she extends forgiveness over a bowl of hot tofu soup after I have done something that truly hurt her. I revel in this truth when I get a text from my friend from far away, offering encouragement and honesty and solidarity in the struggle of being a single woman when all your friends are falling in love and getting married. It is the reality when my roommate sits on my bed as she covers me in a merciful embrace, and cries with me as I confess my shortcomings and pain and longings, and helps me come to the Father to receive grace and strength to face the crippling reality of life. It is found in the nights we spend getting dressed up to dance into the early morning hours, seeping in the vivid and blazing expectation of all that lies before us. It is grabbing coffee with my mentor and hearing him speak words that empower and equip me to do all that I can and be all that I was created to be. I am reminded of it every time I play with the baby, his smile stretching wide across his face as he plants a wet kiss on my cheek. I feel it when I spend hours discussing the ethereal beauty of words and stories and dreaming up new ones with my best friend, and the joy of knowing that despite the distance between us, when we see each other again, it will feel like no time has passed. It is standing next to her on her wedding day and witnessing the greatest decision of Love she will make. It can even be found in the coy, lingering glances across the room and the burning heat of falling for someone, the excitement of what could come- the dazzling electricity of a kiss. It is hearing the deep pain of my friend as he opens up about the trauma he has experienced just being who he is, and it is realizing what a privilege it is to listen and to know.
And we belong to one another.
We are messy people. We hurt each other and harbor distrust and betray one another. The world is wrought with our relational brokenness in so many ways, and we so easily forget we were made for each other. We so easily forget that despite our differences, we are all fragile reflections and bearers of the image of our Relational God, forever alive and in Love with each part of what he is. We so easily forget that though it feels safer to protect our souls by tucking into ourselves, it is not good for Us to be alone. And it never was.
This is the gift and the miracle of our existence: that we are trusted and loved and hurt and healed and understood and empowered and forgiven and advocated for and broken and enjoyed and truly, deeply known by each other. That by some mysterious reality, we belong to one another, and when we truly live with each other and for each other, we touch the Divine.
When we are together, we become what we were created to be. When we are together, we reflect more completely the image of our Father.
We become his hands as we wipe the tears of our friend away. We become his warm laughter when we celebrate and enjoy all the unique beauty radiating from each other. We become his goodness when we surprise our friends with flowers and coffee, and his kindness when we tell each other it is going to be alright. We become his unwavering love when we say we won't leave when things get hard, and we actually mean it. We become his grace when we forgive each other, even when they may have hurt us really deeply. We become his guidance when we walk with our friends through difficulty and painful times. We become his light when we help heal and soothe the wounds that afflict us and remind each other of what is actually true. We become his ears when we listen. We become his advocacy when we protect and defend and stand up for one another when someone is denied justice. It truly is a miracle.
