People who follow the relational pathway find that they have a deep
sense of God's presence when they're involved in significant
relationships. Jesus' statement that "where two or three are gathered
together m my name, there am I in the midst of them" makes perfect sense
to a relational type. Small groups and other community experiences become
indispensable.
Sociologist Robert Wuthnow says that small groups are the biggest social
revolution going on in life today, and relational types are one reason why.
They are small group junkies. They start small groups at work, in their
neighborhood, at school, with their kids' soccer teammates' parents, and maybe
even during long elevator rides.
I think the apostle Peter may have been on this pathway. He came to Jesus with others. He was part of an inner circle along with James and John. After the crucifixion he was the one who gathered the other disciples to go fishing. The defining moments of his life his decision to follow Jesus, his confession that Jesus is the Messiah, his denial of Jesus, his caving in to legalists (Paul writes about this in his letter to the Galatians) all took place in a relational context.
People on this pathway need to lead a relationally rich life. They need
to be part of friendships and small groups that are growing in depth and
vulnerability. They will discover that they are much more
likely to practice prayer or acts of servanthood when they can do it in a
relational context. People on this pathway tend to hear God speak to them more
in a conversation than from a book. They stagnate spiritually to the degree
they get isolated.
Relational types always have to guard against two dangers. One is superficiality.
It is possible to get spread so thin relationally that no one gets past your
external self to know you and love you and challenge you deeply. The second is
to become dependent on others so that you live as a kind of spiritual
chameleon. Practices like solitude and silence will be a stretch for you. They
may never feel natural, but they will help free you from getting addicted to
what others think.
