Know or know?

Who or what do you know best?

You? Your mother or your brother? 19th century Russian novels?

To know is to know something true and lasting about X. “I know you” means more than just knowing what your favorite food is or what your math teacher is called. More than what can constantly change, because the math teacher can also take her husband's name or you could no longer have a math teacher tomorrow because you can calculate 1+1 without a calculator.

I have the knowledge under control.

Knowing is beyond me.

On the other hand, knowing seems to be more secure in some ways, or can create a feeling of security. Because facts like your birthday will never change. I have this knowledge under control. Or, as in my case: Just because I don't know your birthday doesn't mean I don't know you ;).

Knowing, on the other hand, transcends me, since it refers in the truest sense of the word to another, living person, and not to a thing.

Every person is and remains a mystery, even if I tried to understand you all my life, I would never have a true grasp of this knowledge.

Because ultimately, you are incomprehensible. And that's a good thing.

Ultimately, I can never quite put “knowing you” into words.

At that time Jesus said:

I praise you, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

because you have hidden this from the wise and the prudent

and it revealed to the immature hast.

Yes, Father,

that's how you liked it.

Matthew 11:26

Knowing is relational, alive, and leads to relationships. Knowledge is often useful, but in fact dead, motionless.

When I say to you, "Peter, I know you're a teacher," I actually mean, "Peter, I know you, and because I know you, I know you're a teacher." And this teacher-ness might not even refer only to your profession, but to the way you are in the world. How you think, speak, and act. Like a teacher. Someone who is good at imparting knowledge, even wisdom, to other people.

To know is to love.

Just because I can't remember your birthday doesn't mean I don't love you.

To know means to recognize something about your being, as you truly are. And everything that is, everything that is real and true, is good. And I love what is good. And everything that is good is beautiful. And the more I recognize and know you, the more I love you.

Not the lies about you that sometimes come and go inside me, which are based on lies about myself and about the world. No, "I know you and I see you" means knowing the truth about you, behind the mask, without filters. Who you really are. To know you means to love you, for who you are, for you.

The question now is: Do I want to love you?

Yes, do I want to love you? If so, I will try to get to know you. Beyond the fact that your favorite color at the moment is yellow, like the sun.