Martin Buber’s I and Thou describes the holy in terms of a relationship. He describes the interaction between the I and the other. If the other is perceived as a subject, the other is referred to as Thou. If the other is perceived as an object, the other is referred to as It. When I and Thou interact they are in communion with each other. The power in the relationship is in connecting with each other. There is an undivided unity between the two. The relationship manifests itself in aesthetic expression. When I and It interact, the I attempts to explain the world to the other. This results in manipulation of the other. The I has power over the other and attempts to alter the other. The relationship manifests itself in magic or science. In this sense, the holy can be described as an I-Thou relationship. The two others must be in communion with one another to fully experience the holy.
I like the way the holy can be expressed as a relationship. I have always felt like I had a relationship with the holy. This description helps to explain my relationship. When I experience the holy, I am in communion with it. I do not attempt to gain power over it, and part of my worship is even going to communion. When I attempt to understand the holy and have an explanation for it, I remove myself from the communion and I can no longer properly experience the holy. I am a science based person. I constantly have to fight with myself to just have faith and be in a truly holy relationship with the wholly other.
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