In today’s society, we see relationships everywhere: on TV, in the movies, and even in the news. But is this the model for relationship that we should be following? In an age where sex has become so pervasive that it is mentioned in almost every TV show and movie without so much as a second thought, it is very easy for one to be lead to believe that they are not in a “successful” relationship unless they are exemplifying what they see on TV.
So often when we hear the term “relationship” our first thought is of a couple, and when people ask us about our relationships, we tend to talk in this narrow view, because that is how relationships are so often portrayed. But a relationship is so much more than that. In fact, the first definition given for the word relationship is “The way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected.” It isn’t until definition number four that the concept of a sexual relationship is even mentioned.
What this means is that ALL our interactions with other people, whether they are family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, students, teachers, and so on, are all different types of relationships. Of course, the context of the relationship varies depending on who is involved, but the very core of a relationship, which is a connection between people, is present in all of them. It may be deeper in some instances than others, but that depends on how the relationship is nurtured, and if it is allowed to grow.
Of course, one cannot mention relationships, without mentioning the most important relationship of all: the one between us and God. This is the relationship that is often neglected, but is the basis for all of our other relationships. If we nurture our relationship of God through prayer and reception of the Sacraments on a regular basis, we begin to see God in all the people that we meet. We begin to strive not only to grow closer to God, but to also reach out to others, and let the Light of Christ shine through us. And that leads us into an even deeper sense of relationship.
If we as Christians allow ourselves to be rooted in Christ, then we will find that our relationships with others will flourish and grow stronger, especially when we stop seeking for our own satisfaction out of our relationships, and instead seek for God’s will. So often, our struggles with relationships persist because we try to mold our relationships into what we want them to be, which often leads to the relationship “falling apart.” I’ve seen this happen many times in my own life, and it has been very frustrating, but recently, several of my relationships have grown very strong, because I have stopped worrying about what I want to get out of the relationship, and I’ve just let the relationship flow naturally, allowing God to take it in the direction that He would like to see it go. How blessed we are to have a God who will never let us be alone, if only we put our trust in Him!
And so, let our prayer always be that God will draw us closer to the people in this life who will help us to draw closer to Him, so that all of our relationships may be strengthened, and rooted in Christ. Amen.
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