Relationship
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
It’s just a weed in a field. Most will pass by without noticing. But open the aperture and see that it has a certain beauty. Its own glory tells a story of its Maker and his glory. Behold a ‘Thing’, and you might grasp something wondrous.
In the 1920s, Martin Buber shared two ways of relating: I-It and I-Thou. I-It relationships involve objects kept at a distance, detached, observed, categorized, and used. I-Thou (I-You) relationships are with subjects; they are close, more respectful, and empathetic. Both sides of an I-You relationship have something to offer and receive. A gracious exchange.
Buber’s message applies to all kinds of knowing relationships. But for now, consider your relationship with God. To know about God is to operate in the I-It mode. We are collecting facts, organizing categories, and developing theological systems. But eternal life is found in the I-Thou mode. It’s in knowing God, not just knowing about him (John 17:3). And to know well, I must first love—give the gift of my self. Think of the distinction between an observer and a companion, the word companion coming from Latin for ‘with bread’. This suggests we can know either by watching through a window (by collecting facts) or by sitting at the table, sharing a meal. Of course, our companionship with God is not peer-to-peer. It’s friendship across infinite difference.
Both modes have their place. Eternal life is knowing the one true God. The I-Thou mode, alone, can drift into sentimentality. Without careful examination, we can remake God into a sort of teddy-bear-like god. We regularly need to be reminded that God is who he says he is, as revealed in Scripture and in Jesus Christ. But far too often, this is the extent of our relationship. We keep God at a safe distance to support a sense of self-righteousness and a rightness in argument. By contrast, an I-Thou relationship with God is like a burning fire. A blaze of love that compels humility, repentance, and worship. This is eternal life.
Observe how much of your God talk is about him. And then how much is directed to him? How many of our songs are about God? I-It songs. And how many are I-Thou songs—songs from the heart expressing love, devotion, brokenness, and repentance? We need both, but life is in the I-Thou.