Of Those Who Claim to Be Christian, There are Three Dominant Types of Relationship
From Fr. Bill Peckman:
Of those who claim to be Christian, there are three dominant types of relationship.
First is the person who loves God for what God can/should do for them. This relationship is one sided. This person feels it God’s duty to give them what they want, protect them from all harm, and rubber stamp whatever lifestyle they have cobbled together. Maybe they go to Church, maybe they don’t. It is a matter of when and if it works out. Speaking of a relationship with God is rare and sometimes an embarrassment. Evangelization is almost non-existent. When this relationship with God fails to produce the desired result, the relationship is abandoned and God is blamed. This relationship is wholly inappropriate for someone who say they want an eternal relationship with God in heaven. It is the relationship that Jesus speaks of when He talks of those outside begging entry and they hear, “Go away, I do not know you.”
The second is the person who sees their being a friendship between them and God and that it is a two way street. But there are still terms within the relationship; I love God because He loves me. Sometimes it stands up to crisis, sometimes it doesn’t. Going to Mass is seen as an act of friendship to God. Confession starts to come into play as the person knows their sins effect that friendship. Prayer and practice of the faith is a matter of duty to that friendship. Many can stay in this type of relationship with God their entire lives. They might well evangelize. This type of relationship, while imperfect, does lead to eternal relationship with God, but must be purified before entry into heaven.
The third and most powerful type of relationship is the person who loves God because He is God. The crave to know more about Him out of their love for Him. Mass and worship are acts of this love. Confession is regular because they become acutely aware of the times that their love fails and so value the relationship with God that it pains them that it is damaged. They understand that God loves them because they are. They evangelize with fervor. They hand this relationship to their children as the highest heritage they can pass down. Few get here because it requires complete selflessness, but this is the relationship Christ came to re-establish between the Father and humanity. This is the goal. This is the relationship as lived in heaven.
Just something to ponder.
