The painting found on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.  Creation.  A Holy God reaching out - fully stretched to grasp, to touch, to connect with Adam.  Adam half heartily, non-chalantly, reluctantly reaching back -  If you want to call it this….

On one hand Adam desires Intimacy, but on the soon to be prevailing other hand he chose Independence.  Dan Allendar points out this tension between Intimacy and Independence succinctly: “Every choice for intimacy sacrifices some independence, and every choice to be independent costs us a portion of intimacy.”

Our hearts long for intimacy, community, and connection.  But aren’t we American, and well human first - and so we also desire independence, autonomy, and liberty.

Will our intimacy with Christ Cost us - of all things ourselves….Mt. 16.24 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me…..yes.

And more one of the questions asked of relationships and intimacy - a prerequisite if you will - becomes one of loyalty and character - Can we trust God?  Great Question… Mt. 7.11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him… Is he good?

And what if - there is also a paradox at play in our connection with the Creator and Author of all things - where though we are giving up ourselves, denying our selfishness to give God our entire hearts, minds, and souls that we in turn are also receiving our independence in a way that no freedom has ever been received.  An Independence couched in terms of a Sovereign God and Story, about a Kingdom of Light and Life.    

2 Cor. 3.17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Gal.5.1¹ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Intimacy and Independence.  Connection. Freedom. Christ has freed us from the yoke of slavery, to be free, to be sons and daughters of the King….wait for it….in the Kingdom of Heaven where there is redemption … to be made whole from the brokenness of our lives, where there is reconciliation in ourselves - transformation -where we are continually sanctified, changed, morphed into the image bearers of God we were intended to be….in this reality there is ultimate freedom only because there is ultimate communion.  If only Adam would have fully extended his hand…..if only…..we would too.