Respecting Other Religions Precedes Connections in Relationships

The greatest human motivation and desire is to connect and bond. We all seek it, work to develop it, yearn for that special feeling of safety and security when we have it, and can feel lost without it. There’s an element of validation in connection, one that reminds you exist and that you are not alone. We come into this world bonded through connection with our mother’s and so, connection becomes the foundational experience in human form and within establishing strong relationships. The root concept to the word “relationship” is to “relate,” to make or show a connection between, as defined by the Oxford dictionary. When we form a relation between two or more people, places, or things we can measure the effects or discern the relevance within that connection. Therefore, when we speak about relationships it offers us the ability to describe the experience of being connected, the behaviors toward each other, and the overall effects pertaining to our growth and ultimate avenues of fulfillment. We can use this understanding of relationship in building respectful religious connections with others having different backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and experiences. Connection gives the opportunity to be curious rather than critical. Here are 5 ways we can be curious that help facilitate connection and build a better bond in relationships. 1. EXPERIENCE HOW OTHERS WORSHIP: Allowing yourself to be open to and hold space for another’s expansion in love, devotion, and reverence within the purity of their own heart in connection with the Divine is to witness God in made manifest. 2. EDUCATE YOURSELF: Be active in learning from each other, participate equally in the exchange. Take in information to expand yourself, your knowledge, your heart and not to just condemn another.