Happiness that Blossoms Within Relationships 1
Bible passage: 1 Samuel 1:1-8
“6. And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8. Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"
The French philosopher Sartre used the phrase “Hell is - other people” in his play ‘No Exit’ . In the play, three individuals with different thoughts and experiences are trapped in a room without an exit.
They struggle, criticize, and fight with one another until they realize that their surroundings are hell itself. Sartre suggests that in selfish relationships, humans create a hellish life for themselves. Conflicts with family and friends, as well as tensions in the workplace or other social situations, bring discord into our relationships, creating a hell-like suffering in our lives. Such issues can even manifest within the church, in the midst of one's journey of faith. Today, through the passage of Scripture, we aim to explore the problems caused by interpersonal conflicts and seek solutions to these issues. When we look at the relationship between Hannah and Peninnah in today's scripture, Sartre’s idea of “Hell is - other people” deeply resonates.
However, when I recalled this statement, I felt a conviction from God. It was that for those who truly live a life of faith, others should not be hell, but rather heaven. The ability to turn hell into heaven - that is the beauty of a life of faith, and that is the Gospel. Jesus transforms hell into heaven. It is Jesus Christ who changes the premise of “Hell is - other people” into “Heaven is - other people.” Therefore, in our relationships, the blossoms of happiness should bloom as if we were in heaven.
