We are made for each other. Yet making relationships work, let alone making them flourish, is often remarkably difficult. We all know that justice matters, yet it slips through our fingers. We mostly know that there is such a thing as spirituality and that it’s important, yet it’s hard to refute the charge that it’s all wishful thinking. In the same way, we all know that we belong in communities, that we were made to be social creatures.
Yet there are many times when we are tempted to slam the door and stomp off into the night by ourselves, simultaneously making the statement that we don’t belong anymore and that we want someone to take pity on us, to come to the rescue and comfort us. We all know we belong in relationships, but we can’t quite work out how to get them right. The voice we hear echoing in our heads and our hearts keeps reminding us of both parts of this paradox, and it’s worth pondering why.
“We were made for each other” is a profound statement of reality, echoed in the proverb—for it’s in the community that we are shaped and find our sharpened selves. It’s also a signpost of a deeper reality, telling us there is a road ahead that leads to goodness. Lord, thank you for making me for the community; may I become more like you through others’ help. Amen.
N. T. Wright. Faith That Matters: 365 Devotions from Classic Christian Leaders (Kindle Locations 409-422). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
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