“‘I – Thou’ relationships … I recognize that I am made in the image of God and so is every other person on the face of the earth. This makes them a ‘Thou’ to me.” (pg. 181)
The basis for ‘I – Thou’ relationships comes straight from scripture: “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male & female He created them.”
(Gen. 1:27) Treating people as a ‘Thou’ resembles the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you. After all, we would never treat ourselves poorly! The ‘I – Thou’ concept goes far beyond our capabilities. We can’t love others well without allowing God’s love to permeate us. Then the space/differences between us become sacred space because we recognize God in them. And in that sacred space, God is glorified.
Kelly McGaha