“He must increase, but I must decrease.” – John 3:30

At first, I was really confused about Heki.  Was Heki a person, perhaps a surfer I didn’t know about?  Maybe Heki was a Hawaiian word that I had yet to learn.  And why was the “k” backwards?  Eventually, I realized my mistake.

HE>i

The clothing brand that operates out of Hale’iwa started with trying to put something clever on the main screen of a Nokia phone.  The “greater than” sign reminded the founders of the verse from John 3:30. The “HE>i” lived on their home screen until they began to put the equation on shirts, hats, and stickers.  The founders’ hope is that the logo inspires people to talk about God in their lives.

In John 3 the disciples of John the Baptist were confused about Jesus and specifically the relationship between Jesus and John.  They were worried because it seemed like Jesus was taking some of John’s schtick and followers. “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”

Yet John had no anxiety because he realized the role he played and the role Christ would play “You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him’…He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Yet this statement is about more than keeping ego in check.  This also speaks of what happens to us as we grow closer to God.  The more we focus on God; the more time we spend with God; the more our actions are in line with God; the more we discover a sweet and peaceful rhythm to life.  It is difficult to be anxious when we find ourselves in the loving arms of God.

HE>i is a clever and memorable interpretation on John 3:30, yet I also find great truth in St. Teresa of Avila’s interpretation of the same verse.

“The closer one approaches to God, the simpler one becomes.” – St. Teresa of Avila