Relationships

12-2

           

            It feels like it was so long ago that I was in Kenya. It’s only been two weeks. Being outside my Fremont bubble has given me an outlook on relationships within a culture. One thing I have observed is that relationships are so important. It doesn’t matter where you are from. A hearty slap of the hands handshake and a huge smile from 70 yr old women in rural Kenya. A kiss on either side of the cheek here in Italy. Grown men holding hands walking down the crowded streets of Nakuru is a way to show those around that this is my buddy and he’s with me. Afghan young men playing cards for hours with a cup of tea. Young Kenyan men and women playing with their friends hands and ears as if this is my brother or sister. Paul tells his Christian friends to greet each other with a holy kiss. Not just any kiss, but a HOLY kiss. The longing of having relationships within the same sex and with the opposite sex is part of human DNA. It’s as if we were made to have relationship. Like the Maker of humans has relationship in his DNA as well. Like we were made to have relationship with each other. Like we were made to have relationship with the Maker. The relationship with the Maker calls us to have holy relationships that cross cultural barriers. Kisses, handshakes, hugs, winks, good games, pounds, smiles. These are all very special. And when the Maker is involved they become holy, and suddenly a kiss that would normally make a person in a Fremont bubble feel uncomfortable suddenly makes him feel that this is the most natural thing created and know that divine relationship transcends space and time.