Human beings are fundamentally relational. This is probably why the moral landmines we are repeatedly warned against across faiths―envy, greed, anger―are relational. Relationships are ever present and, when life gets busy, the first to be ignored connective tissue of our lives.
The good news is that we are wired for connection and instinctively know how to bond with another. All we need is a warm heart and an easeful mind. Over-gamification isn’t necessary! Yes, I am aware that warmth and ease seem like scant features in our hyperextended modern life. But I also know that they are embedded in us and come out to play when we feel safe.
So try this experiment: when you next crave a sense of community, start from right under your nose…literally. Build up that fire in your heart, look up and then share that warmth with someone you naturally feel easeful around.
“As once the winged energy of delight
carried you over childhood’s dark abysses,
now beyond your own life build the great
arch of unimagined bridges.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke
