Alive Relationally

Why don’t men and women see things the same way?

Right now, we are all in a critical relational place.  One ripe for change.

I think all of you know I’m a minister.  Years ago, after serving in the US Senate for two chaplains, first Lloyd Ogilvie and then Barry Black, I followed a calling into ordained ministry.  First through academic, theological training and then with practical, church-related training.

During my career on Capitol Hill, especially while working for the Senate chaplain, relationships were the number one topic people brought up. When someone came to see me about a problem at work, 99.9% of the time it was about another person they worked around.

And more times than not, it was about someone of the opposite sex.

Men and women.

Women and men.

And I started to wonder . . .

Why are we so different?

Why don’t we see things the same way?

I also wondered about our unique design by God for relationship.  Community. Together. As men and women.

How this can actually help us live together.  Side by side.  Rather than divided. Disconnected.

I also wondered if as men and women we could ever come to a place of peace, where we flourished together, instead of, what our culture referred to as “a war.”

That was in the 90s and the early 2000s.

And our culture is still calling it “a war.”  Unfortunately, and very sadly, rather than it dissipating over the decades, it seems to be escalating. 

Think about it.  Most, if not all of us can recount some experience with the opposite sex where domination, offense, assault, harassment, aggression, manipulation, or verbal viciousness has occurred while someone wields their perceived power.

This, is the exact opposite of what it means to live alive together as human beings.

It is also the exact opposite way God has created us.

In 2025, publicly, professionally, and privately we are all in a critical relational place.  One ripe for change. 

One ripe for relational reconciliation, healing, a listening ear, care, and restoration. 

One where we can discover Someone who can help us.  Who lived in His own contentious time.

Who also lived fully alive!