Over the holidays I began reading Larry Crabb's book "Connecting". I've become a fan of Crabb's over the last few months and have really enjoyed his insights and focus on the importance of soul-to-soul interactions.
As I've read and reflected I've swayed between encouragement and discouragement. Encouragement at the centrality of "connecting" to the Gospel, discouraged at how rare the experience really is. In "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places" Eugene Peterson says "If the Scriptures teach us anything it is that we are people in relationship"...I couldn't agree more. Yet there is a nagging fear that I find in myself and in others that being known at a soul level is out of our reach. It may be possible for others but not for us. So believing the lie we continue our little masquerade and further isolate ourselves from the thing we need the most, to know the truth that we are not alone.
I read a beautiful post this morning from the Internet Monk (you can read the whole article here). What struck me was the honesty. Life is hard, and no one escapes it's difficulty...no one has it figured out...we all need to receive and extend more grace than we realize. And so, quoting the monk...
"We do the best with what we have given to us, or what we have left over or with what still works after the latest wreck. And God forms Christ in us, brings Christ through us, glorifies Christ in us and all in all."
