i talked with a dear friend today. it was an easy conversation. nothing was forced. it moved from topic to topic with little effort. the discussion ranged from the weekend's activities to how we each felt about some pretty heavy topics. as the dialogue wound around we laughed . . . a lot. silly stuff. inside jokes border-lining on stupid. and there was honesty. a dump truck full of it. the words were not always easy to say or to hear - but they were candid, real and meant a lot.
as i reflect on the precious gift of what friendship truly is i marvel at its simplicity. it is not built on what either of us do for a living. there is little to no regard to our family structure, formal training or school, where we live or what our hobbies are. it doesn't matter.
what does matter is the mutual respect and love we have for each other. may i always be respectful and loving. it is a good thing and i have a feeling we can all use a little more good thing right now.
Staci,
ReplyDeleteC. S. Lewis in The Four Loves speaks of Friendship as the least natural of loves. Meaning it is a love not helped along by natural feelings such as affection or desire. Friendship is a drawing apart of two together. A leaving of the madding crowd for a singular relationship with one person that evokes in us things which would never be without that relationship.
Christ calls us his friends and we should expect to see the divine reflected in our true friendships. Just as a relationship with Christ evokes from us that which would not be otherwise, so too does friendship bring out a new being only because of our relationship. Friendship can be said, without presumption, to be a divine state, a glimpse of the great goodness of God.
Yes, Staci it is a great thing, a truly human thing made holy as it becomes more self-less and self-giving. It is a precious gift. We indeed need as much of that as we can possibly get, now as ever.
Ad Astra Per Aspera,
Kevin