Be Holy, So That Your Children May Be Holy

Patterns for Life audiobook Chapter 8

We often default into thinking about relationships in one-to-one terms: I meets Thou in parent-child, husband-wife, and friend-friend dichotomies. But if we broaden our understanding to meditate on the Holy Trinity, it gradually unfolds that even our I-Thou relationships are not simply linear or planar, but exist within a medium, revealing a third dimension. Something lies between us. Psychologists recognize the existence of this plane and sometimes refer to is as an “interactive field” that is affected by both people involved in conversation. Observing the space between us during an exchange — Does it feel comfortable? Loving? Dangerous? — can yield emotional awareness in both parties.

But even more than mere emotion, between myself and you lies the spiritual substance of communion: our Lord and God and Savior Himself. Becoming aware of His presence in this way can sanctify even the most ordinary of encounters. What this means is that our relationships with each other and with our children are very much entwined with our relationship with the Holy Trinity; picture the intricate whorls and knots in a Celtic design. Whatever we do in the spiritual realm will necessarily entwine with and affect our children.

~ Patterns for Life, Chapter 8

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