| Intimacy: Related to truth telling. Honesty, forthright, straight-shooting, and blunt. The simple choice to respect people, allow them freedom, and refuse to hide in cowardice and shame. | Isolation: Related to lying. Ambiguity, hypocrisy, facades, and hiding. The complex games of manipulation, power, and pride. Usually used to force capitulation, insulate hidden agendas, and seduce people as ideological objects. |
From the Latin intimus meaning innermost. Intimacy connects our innermost being with God and with those around us. God created humanity to be connected to God and to each other. We know this from the chapters of scripture where we read that God said it was not good for man to be alone. Our goal, our drive, our passion is to redeem, recapture, and reclaim lives of intimacy.
We live in a world fractured and isolated by mobility. We must choose to tear down the walls and constraints and live connected to one another as God intends. The Velveteen Rabbit tells us that it does not all happen at once and it can be painful, but this very intimacy makes us real instead of just fake plastic shells, makes us honest instead of game playing hypocrites, makes us approachable instead of aloof and desolate.
Intimacy will not come quickly or easily for pansies like us, and we do not advocate “emotional streaking.” We desire to love God and our neighbors (those with whom we have contact) deeply. The apostle Paul wrote that we are the body of Christ. We want to rejoice together when one of use rejoices and when one member suffers we choose to join in their suffering also.
We invite you to join us on this pilgrimage with God and each other, to embrace the honest, transparent messiness that comes with intimacy, and in doing so create a community of friends who hope to change our world beginning with ourselves.
