Porcupine Ponderings

Been reading a bit of John Ortberg lately and writing lots. He wrote on community and accepting people for who they are, where they are. Open arms and no hidden agendas, no walls. Frost's writes, "Good fences make good neighbours," Tom Jones, writes "There must always be a wall." Song after song cry out for someone anyone to fill some space, yet we push away from intimacy. Ortberg tells a story about porcupine love.

about
porcupines
dancing together
loving the other
fragility entranced
intimacy unmatched

I get it. I most certainly have the head knowledge to see the parallels aligned the human predicament. Yet I wonder, how much to risk in relationship.

But is there more to gain
Love never lies, love never leaves
Yes there is more to gain
When you don't know where to begin
And love is there in the end

Yes in the end, it is the relationships,
the love from people that matter,
that's what matters.
So then, what is the matter
Why can't we see

We hesitate to engage, to invest, to risk, when there is nothing more desperately needed than the mutual acceptance another human can provide. We fail to adequately prioritize relationships when they are the essential foundation of human health.

invest in the people
step o'er the line
I'll say it again
you'll do just fine
Don't wait too late
'Til you're in the pine