To be human is to belong to each other...

When we seek for connection, we restore the world to wholeness. 

Our seemingly separate lives become meaningful
as we discover how truly necessary we are to each other.

~Margaret Wheatley

Oh how we need one another. 

When I was a freshman at Concordia, a wise and beautiful professor (who became mentor, family member, boss, dear friend, and inspiration) reminded us that "God created the world for relationship." These words and this attitude has been central to how I see faith in action. We are constantly in relationship with God, with one another, with creation, with ourselves--as human beings, we cannot and should not act independently of one another. We need each other to be our best, to be our whole selves--we belong to each other.

Living here these past few weeks, in a part of the world that is known for being unsettled and a source of conflict and unrest, this attitude of relationship has become even more central to my thinking. In the past three weeks, I have come to depend on the relationships of my fellow JWB crew more than I could have anticipated. As we've navigated stateside orientation, pre-departure anxieties, airports, jet lag, culture shock, countless introductions, new food, new language, new home, and countless other transitions, these seven people have become my support system here. As perfect strangers, we began an adventure together, and in the beginning, we were all each other had on this journey. Yet as we begin to settle in, our circles of relationships are expanding to include host families, site supervisors, friends, neighbors, church communities, among others.

Relationships and connections are essential in our fragmented world. Living in a place that is so very fragmented and fragile is a new and humbling experience. Walls divide, human beings dehumanize their fellow men and women because of different nationalities, religions or opinions, and cycles of hate and ignorance continue to define and shape society. It is only through the tearing down of these walls, daring to share our stories and bits of ourselves that we can ever be truly whole. This place is known for its conflict, but it is SO much more than that!  Rarely do people get a glimpse of the holy hospitality that is so abundant. Tales of laughter around a meal, of the joyful sounds of children playing outside, of conversation over a cup of coffee or tea--these are the stories that are often untold. The beauty of this place lies in the connections that are formed between neighbors, congregation members, volunteers, internationals, locals, adults and children; we need each other to be whole. 

In so many ways, relationships are central to our well-being. Wholeness lies in seeking connection, not in isolation. Walls intended to guard or protect end up inflicting more harm than good. God created this wonderful world for relationship--dare to belong to one another! Share your story. Affirm one another's humanity. Celebrate the presence of God in every person you encounter, for our lives are forever linked through that which binds us together. 

We belong to one another.