They say the human heart has a "void" that we all are trying to fill throughout our life's journey. I think we all realize it at some deep down level within each of us. CS Lewis often alludes to a "God-shaped hole". Augustine points to it in his writings. Blaise Pascal implied it when he stated, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.” Philosopher's and theologians alike have often determined that this "void" is never filled with anything but what it was designed to accommodate. The Master Designer in His desire to draw us towards Himself has made each of us with a "hole" that only He can fill. A remarkably ingenius way to allow us humans to crave a knowing of their Creator. It's like a relational magnet within our spirit that draws us. I read an interesting report from the Commission on Children at Risk that seems to validate this very concept and more. Our culture is plagued with what's known as "at risk children". It's not a new thing...in fact many "at risk kids" are now grown into adults and are now having their own "at risk children". At risk children are the effects of divorce, broken homes, single parent households, latch key environments, drug abuse, workaholism and various other disintegration factors of the traditional stable family environment. The number one cause of this crisis? The conclusion in this study says that as human beings we have been designed to be "connected". They term it as humans are "hardwired to connect". To quote the study, "In large measure, what's causing this crisis of American childhood is a lack of connectedness. We mean two kinds of connectedness---close connections to other people, and deep connections to moral & spiritual meaning." Jesus stated something very similar when He was asked what the greatest commandment was, He replied, "Love God with your whole heart, whole mind and whole soul. And... love others as you love yourself." Jesus tells us that God's desire is for us to live in connected relationship with God and with other people. We've been "hardwired" that way by our Creator. In a sense we have 2 relational holes within our soul that God has put within us...a void that yearns to know God in authentic relationship and a void that yearns to know others in a loving, genuine relationship. God said it was "not good for us to be alone" in Genesis, He said it from the beginning. Now as humans perhaps we are beginning to understand the value of "connectedness"...and the destructive outcomes of "aloneness". This study goes on to say we have learned to be experts in medicating & pyscho-analyzing our lack of "connectedness" but we have failed miserably as a culture in learning how to "connect". Yet, God has the pursuit of the answer hard-wired within each of us. God in His mercy desires us to be in right relationship with Him and in right relationship with each other. He's made us to crave it, to discover it, and to thrive within it. At FRIENDS we strive to create a safe environment for each of us to explore this craving...to discover it's significance... and to thrive in it's embrace. Join us as we learn to connect with God and with each other in authentic, genuine relationships...as we were "hardwired" to experience...from the beginning!be God's!
Brian O
ECHO
Lead Pastor dude
Friends Community Church
Tyler, Texas
