I have read a multitude of articles lately dealing with the topic of "hooking up", suddenly the media has gotten a hold of this concept that, they are aching to tell me, permeates my age group and those younger.
Most recently, a new book detailing the post-"baby boomer" generation (I guess that's me, I don't think the definition of "baby boomer" was ever all that solid, much less those that come afterwards...) talks about the severe absence of commitment and true relationship, instead focusing on casual hook-ups.
So I'm sitting here thinking about this idea (reality?), and how God's plan involves our coming back into relationship with Him and with one another. I really despise it when Christians or media folks try and simplify the indecision that is clearly so prevalent among my peers.
Many of these articles bemoan the disappearance of "dating". Well, what the hell is dating? No one seems to be able to even define it anymore. I was told in my "young Christian" days that dating was bad anyways, so why are we now so concerned at its disappearance?
No one knows the rules - Lord knows I sure don't. So we struggle through the mire of our need, grasping in the darkness from our innate and most desperate need: to feel connection, any connection, to those around us. We, as a culture, have lots of missing pieces in our relationship skills.
This doesn't make "hooking up" in the sexual arenas right, in fact I feel that this causes us to "miss the mark" with God and one another. But I wish that, while speaking against this behaviour, we would also seek to understand why it is that some choose to hook up. I think I get it.
We as the church must never be naive or dismissive, as the church so often has. How many times I have heard the pithy advice "just turn it over to Jesus". When what Jesus really wants is for us to lead the way back to Him and one another, to get our hands and feet dirty with the work of connecting. It's damn hard work - I have a hard enough time with my own relationships. But I am reminded this week that it is my struggles, my failures and successes with relationships, that are preparing me to lead others to one another.
And wow, do I need that reminder this week...God help us all to CONNECT...
