Barth
Knowing God
Having been raised in the solid culture of evanglicalism, I have been often taught that Christianity is not a ‘religion’ but a ‘relationship’ - meaning that it is not a set of rules to be followed, but about ‘knowing’ God through Jesus. I have always had a hard time with such understandings of what it is to be in a ‘relationship’ with God. God is... well, God. As Barth notes, he is HOLY, meaning different, other, not-likes-us! And yet he comes to become as like as as possible - even taking on flesh.
This is all well and good. In fact, it is very good, but I am still very fuzzy on the practical working out of what a ‘relationship with God’ means. Let me illustrate my point. I have a good friend and wife, Emily, and my relationship with her is very easily defined: I talk to her, she talks to me. When either of us is troubled we can see it on each other’s faces and in our actions. We can comfort each other with a hug (or chocolate). We can do fun things together, like riding our bikes, watching Lost, going to the beach (ok, I’ll throw in shopping for her sake...). In essence, our relationship is extremely tangible. But I don’t think that such a tangible relationship is what we mean with God.
I suppose I have some friends who would disagree with me - there relationships with God are very tangible via a very active role that they see God taking in their lives. Now, I’m not saying that they are wrong, I have a very hard time with the sort of activity that they claim God is behind. One of the most common activities that God seems to bring about is putting them in a certain place, surrounded by people who love, care and bless them (and often where they are in positions to love, care and bless others). The bottom line is that I have a hard time knowing/understanding that such was God’s work - that because of some special relationship with Him these things occured, which would not have occured had not this relationship with God been a reality in these Christian’s lives. For if these things would have happened, these people known, without a relationship with God, then how is a relationship with God made in manifest in the glorious blessings of relationships?
This is only one example, though there are many other possibilties. So, the question remains: what is it to have a relationship with God?
This is all well and good. In fact, it is very good, but I am still very fuzzy on the practical working out of what a ‘relationship with God’ means. Let me illustrate my point. I have a good friend and wife, Emily, and my relationship with her is very easily defined: I talk to her, she talks to me. When either of us is troubled we can see it on each other’s faces and in our actions. We can comfort each other with a hug (or chocolate). We can do fun things together, like riding our bikes, watching Lost, going to the beach (ok, I’ll throw in shopping for her sake...). In essence, our relationship is extremely tangible. But I don’t think that such a tangible relationship is what we mean with God.
I suppose I have some friends who would disagree with me - there relationships with God are very tangible via a very active role that they see God taking in their lives. Now, I’m not saying that they are wrong, I have a very hard time with the sort of activity that they claim God is behind. One of the most common activities that God seems to bring about is putting them in a certain place, surrounded by people who love, care and bless them (and often where they are in positions to love, care and bless others). The bottom line is that I have a hard time knowing/understanding that such was God’s work - that because of some special relationship with Him these things occured, which would not have occured had not this relationship with God been a reality in these Christian’s lives. For if these things would have happened, these people known, without a relationship with God, then how is a relationship with God made in manifest in the glorious blessings of relationships?
This is only one example, though there are many other possibilties. So, the question remains: what is it to have a relationship with God?
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