Inverse Relationship.....

I have noticed a very disturbing pattern this week: there is absolutely a very strange inverse relationship between intimacy of relationships and the amount of respect with which human beings treat one another. To put it in plain English, it really bothers me that people who spend lots of time together tend to treat each other so badly. I would never bark orders at a casual acquaintance the way that I yell at my parents when they are asking me to be careful while going to my workplace in the morning and me getting irritated for running late. Nor would I be as quick to nag anyone as easily as I do to my mom.

Sadly, this is coming up because I’ve been treated not-so-nicely by several folks during the past few weeks. I’m grateful that these situations have served as mirrors leading to self-examination, and once again I’ve been reminded that I’m woefully imperfect since I’ve been guilty of harming others with the same sort of behavior that caused so much discomfort for me. And so the question has been gnawing at my brain as I attempt to drift off to sleep at night…why do we continue to hurt the people we love the most?

Tonight as I was reading an article for tomorrow's presentation, I had an old Jesus song taught by a college friend running through my head. The words are:

Rejoice evermore, for this is the will of God…

Pray without ceasing, for this is the will of God…

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God…In Christ Jesus, concerning you.

This simple song has put me back on track again. I got so caught up in the strange ways that people interacted with me this week that I had forgotten how basic God’s command is for me: Rejoice, pray, give thanks. Not sometimes, but evermore, without ceasing, in everything. All the time. Everywhere.I am one among those people who don't visit temples quite often, but my belief on god is the real existence of my life.

So (as long as I remember this simple song) when I’m disappointed, I’ll give thanks that God has an opportunity to reveal his grace. When I’m hurt and lonely, I’ll pray inviting God to step in to heal the wounds. And when I’m feeling like nobody cares about what I’m going through, I’ll rejoice because God cares, he will always listen. Because with God, the inverse is reciprocal. When I can’t, God can. When I’m broken in half, God is doubled. With God, the inverse nature of my relationships becomes a blessing and I am restored to oneness with all of creation.