First of all, please forgive my lousy pronunciation on the video. I am doing my best to learn some Kinyarwanda, but language has never been my specialty!
In spite of that, this message is too important to miss. Nishimiye kuba menya is how we say “pleased to meet you” in Kinyarwanda. In a culture that is marked by deep relationships, this is a common way to birth a new friendship.
Why are relationships so important to us? We intuitively recognize that God designed us to be in authentic fellowship with each other, to dig deep into relationship. Genuine connection enables us to flourish as humans.
At the very beginning of the Bible, we begin to see beautiful relationship manifested by the mystery of the Trinity. In Genesis 1:26-27, we read, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” When we note the tenses in this text, it is clear that there is a harmonious relationship. This ultimate relationship is between what other sections of Scripture describe as three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
It isn’t long before we notice something else in this passage. In Genesis 2:18, God is recorded as saying, “It is not good for the man to be alone.”
We. need. each. other.
Interestingly, even though we know that we need each other, there is a tendency to withdraw and to avoid deep emotional connections. Obviously, it is easy to get hurt when you bare your soul to another. It also makes life more complex when we try to juggle a myriad of relationships. We cannot be in deep relationship with everyone, but if we want to live as healthily as God intends, we must be in deep relationship with someone…probably several “someones.”
How can you enter into a deeper relationship with others? Are you willing to be vulnerable and to open your heart to another?
As I travel through life, I want to have a posture of being “pleased to meet you” because I recognize that God has brought you into my path for a specific purpose, and it is an honor to journey with you. Nishimiye Kuba Menya!