There is a theory which I ascribe to that states that our relationships with others actually becomes a part of who we are individually (this is Willard's social dimension of the self in "Renovation of the Heart"). Take a moment and think about all the people you talk to every day. It's pretty mind blowing if you step back and consider the hundreds of interactions you have each day. Some of them may be quick and fleeting, others quite involved. It's the kind of thing that can easily slip below the surface. We fall into conditioned patterns of behavior in our interactions instead of seeing a human life in front of us and honoring it as such.
So after I meet you on the street or in a store, I carry a bit of you with me, and a bit of me goes with you. What I really love about this is it breaks down the illusion of our separateness and reminds us that we really are all mostly the same. It challenges me to care for our relationship as part of my self, since in one sense it's true. It also reminds me of the interdependency that we are called to as part of the body of Christ on earth. Alone, each of us is vulnerable, but together we are strong. "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecc. 4:12) We make up for each other's weaknesses and blind spots, and show each other our true glory and strength.
Think about this theory over the next few days. How does this idea change the way you interact with the people you come across in your day? How do you depend on others? How do they depend on you? If it is the sum of all the relationships you have in your life, what is the state of your social "self"?
