From an article written by Wesley Hill, a Christian man struggling with his sexuality and the loneliness that arises from celibacy:
I know well-meaning Christians who often remind me, “God’s love for you is better than any love you might find in a human relationship.” While I believe this is true in an ultimate and profound sense, putting it this way seems to set up a false dichotomy. A statement more in sync with the drift of the New Testament might go something like this: “God’s love for us is expressed and experienced mainly through the medium of human relationships.”
Except for those who have a mystical connection with God, most feel God’s love come alive best through human relationships. That’s why God sent Jesus, after all–so we’d have a way to experience that profound love in its fullest fleshly expression.
That said, many find that taking communion is a time of experiencing God’s love. (Which is why I say “God’s love made real for you,” when I offer the bread and cup to folks.) And as the daughter of a Forest Ranger, nothing says “I love you, Karen,” more than an hour at the Grand Canyon or a day spent along the bluffs of the Ohio.
@ Karen: I also feel the closest to God when I’m outside enjoying his handiwork, but there aren’t many things that can surpass feeling cherished by another human being.
Did you like the article? I haven’t finished reading it yet, but this kind of honesty is rare in Christian writing, I think.
@ Wei Hsien: I really enjoyed it, even though I disagreed with the authors perspective that homosexuals are required to live celibate lives. Sounds like he is beginning to question that himself.
Thanks for sharing this on Google Reader. I probably would have never seen it otherwise.