“Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife” (17:1). There is a famous play by the French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre called ‘No Exit’ about three people who are sent to hell together. I don’t advocate the ideas behind the play, but I was interested in how it reflects on Sartre’s experience of relationships. And sadly, his experience is that of many people. At the beginning of the play the three characters find themselves in a neatly furnished room and they wonder at the absence of any traces of the torments they were led to expect in hell. As the play goes on, however, they begin to torment each other. The most famous line of this play, that encapsulates its theme, is tragically cynical: “Hell is other people.” According to Scripture we were created for relationship and relationships are the source of the greatest joy in life. But when relationships go wrong, they can indeed be the source of terrible suffering. Given these obvious facts, why would we not prioritise building healthy relationships? We give great effort to building houses, wealth, businesses and reputations. We sometimes even build these at the cost of our relationships. And, when we do, we live in luxury and success in deep misery. Whatever else you are building, never neglect building healthy relationships. Be prepared to give your best efforts to this. Your relationships will then become the source of great joy for you. If, however, you neglect them, you may find yourself living in a hell of your own creation.
Reflect on your priorities with respect to your closest relationships.
Read Proverbs 17:1-12
