Going Deep

This was a post I made on another aquaintences blog site. I decided to resurrect the idea and see if any still visited my blog. :)

I have thought about that whole "going deep" thing with someone to some extent, as well. Actually, myself and some of my acquaintances here in Vienna...have even commented about the "levels of conversation". We just made it up one night. So, for instance, level one would be small talk, weather talk, etc. Level two would be on a more personal level (interests, what one does, etc.) Level three would be even more personal (faith, philosophies, political ideals, life aspirations, etc.) Level four is where you share the more difficult things like struggles, sin, anger, disapointment, / or, heart felt feelings towards another's friendship, love for someone, etc. Level 5 is when you share things that only you and a select few know about (lust issues, etc.)... And level 6 is a level that isn't often reached. That is where you share something or thoughts that only you and God have known about before that moment (most often carnal thought). So, there you have it. Move over Erickson, Piaget, Milton. Check out theory can come out of simple conversation between some average Joes?! Well, we have no study that supports this theory...and not a lot of thought was actually put into it.....your thought on "going deep" just reminded me of it.For the most part I agree with one of the other posts. I think it is rare moments when we dare to talk intimately with our fellow man. Many times, in Christian circles at least, it seems forced. We have vain attempts at accountability groups...that usually end with little to no transparency ( NO LEVEL 6! :)).

Henri Nouwen has some interesting thoughts on intimacy with our fellow man in, 'Reaching Out.' He talks in there about reaching a certain level of intimacy with our fellow man through solitude (of course! What else does Nouwen talk about?!). I really like his thoughts, though. In 'Reaching Out' he sites a dialog he has with a former student. The only catch is that it wasn't much of a dialog...of words anyways. He states that after a few minutes had passed they became silent..."Not an embarassing silence but a silence that could bring us closer together than the many small and big events of the last year." "The silence that grew between us was warm, gentle and vibrant." He goes on describing their nonverbal interactions. And then after a long period of silence his former student says, "When I look at you it is as if I am in the presence of Christ." Nouwen responds by saying he did not feel surprised or in need of protesting, but could only say, "It is the Christ in you, who recognizes the Christ in me." "Yes," his student said, "He indeed is in our midst."Nouwen then goes on to say that this former student spoke the most healing words he had heard in his many years..."From now on, wherever you go, or wherever I go, all the ground between us is holy ground."

That is deep.

-Andy