Pastor's Corner
January, 2002
I read a funny story in Aesop Fables recently. Two men were traveling together when a bear suddenly met them on the path. One of them climbed up quickly onto a tree and concealed himself in the branches. The other, realizing he could be attacked, fell flat on the ground. When the bear came up and felt him with his snout and smelt him all over, he held his breath and pretended to be dead as much as he could. The bear soon left him, for it is said that bears will not touch a dead body. When the bear was gone, the other traveler came down from the tree and curiously asked his friend, “What did the Bear whisper in your ear?” He replied, “He gave me this advice: Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger.” This story is very much in line with an old Chinese idiom that says, “Adversary shows true Friendship.”
For anyone who has lived a few years will testify that true friendship is a rare commodity. Just like the story above, a true friend doesn’t dessert you and have you face adversary on your own. He will be there even if it seems that there isn’t anything he can do. A true friend doesn’t criticize you without showing empathy and providing constructive advice on how to improve as a person or better the situation. A true friend doesn’t ignore your sins and despise you for that. He would lovingly point them out with tact and help you overcome them. A true friend is one who laughs and cries with you when the situation calls for it. The list may go, on for there are many good descriptions of true friendship. William Penn, in Fruits of Solitude, wrote, “A true friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably.”
True friendship is like fine wine. It takes time to cultivate. In this fast paced society with so many “instant” things around us, we often lack patience to develop something worthwhile. In this world of busyness, we often lack time to do things with friends that enhance our relationship. In this New Year, may we take the time to re-connect with our friends and cultivate a true friendship.
Before I sign off, I would like to share with you a great truth: Jesus wants to be your friend. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Not only did Jesus lay down his life for you, He did it while you disregarded Him as your friend. The Bible says, “While we (you) were still sinners, Christ died for us (you). What a friend we have in Jesus! It is my hope that you would accept His true friendship. For those who have received Jesus as your Savior, take time to cultivate your friendship with Him. Finally, I wish you a Happy New Year!
Pastor Larry
