Relationship and Acceptance

In our staff’s meeting this morning, Pastor Bambang Widjaja, our senior pastor and the president of the institution, shared us an interesting topic on parameter for healthy Christian living. He reflected on Mark 12.28-31. If I understand correctly, he shared his belief that righteous Christian living equals to (means/results in) healthy relationships. If I were allowed to amplify his message, ‘Christianity is all about relationship.’

He mentioned three dimensions of relationship. Relationship with God signifies our spiritual fitness. Relationship with our own self signifies emotional fitness. Lastly, relationship with others signifies social fitness.

Pastor Widjaja also mentioned another catch word: ‘Acceptance.’ If we fully understand that through his love, God has accepted us, then we should have less (no) problem in accepting our own self. Subsequently, if we are able to accept our own self, we should have less (no) problem in accepting other people.

For me, relationship and acceptance are two very strong interrelated words. Pastor Widjaja concluded that our relationship with God is inseparable from our daily life. Prayer may be one indicator of healthy spiritual life, but it is not all. Yet, our relationship with God is determinative to the other two relationships. If our relationship with God is inharmonious, we could not expect healthy relationship with our own self and others.

I am so blessed with Pastor Widjaja’s message this morning. It reminds me on, and confirms my own favorite wisdom: ‘True Christian spirituality should be manifested (effective) in social realities.’