Dear readers, my topic today is on friendship and l will be looking at it from three different perspectives:
- – The meaning of friendship
- – Attributes of a good friend.
- – The human and Christian value of friendship.
Many people have defined friendship in different ways but the one that interests me the most is the one that simply says Friendship is: Everything. Friendship is: Happiness. Friendship is: Love. Friendship is: Life. This to me encapsulates the totality of what friendship stands for.
Looking at friendship from this perspective, you will agree that when you are happy and loved, you can comfortably say that you are living a good life and that you have everything irrespective of your financial status. One of my lecturers back then in the university used to say that money cannot buy you complete happiness but peace of mind and true love
Many a time, we find ourselves in the midst of people who pretend to be our friend simple because of the favour they are getting from us but as soon as they no longer receive such favour, they all disappear one after another.
Pope Francis once said that a friend isn’t just an acquaintance but someone you enjoy passing the time of day with. He concluded by saying that Friendship is something much deeper
This therefore brings me to the second perspective which is, attributes of a good friend.
A good friend is one whom you share your secrets with, someone who will always be there for you. Will have your back and is always ready to make sacrifices for you. A good friend will always support you no matter what and most importantly, a good friend will never abandon you just like Jesus Christ promised never to abandon us
“It was ST Augustine who says that our hearts are restless until they rest in you o Lord” and that still resonates in my heart today, even in the 21st century. Thus, looking at friendship form the spiritual point of view, it can be said that God invites us to announce His gospel though friendship. We read about the kind of friendship that Jesus shared with Lazarus, Mary and Matha and even the one with Zacchaeus when He dined at his house even when people saw Zacchaeus as a sinner. With humility, patience and empathy, Jesus worn him over as friend and then preached the word of God to him. Friendship, forgives respects, inspires, encourages, never abandons, defends, shares joy and sadness, heals and protects, and Loyal.
For any friendship to last there must be trust. We must show that we can be reliable and committed to that relationship. Friendship entails understanding others, loving them and accepting them, the way they are. Friendship is a reciprocal love between two people built on mutual knowledge and communication. Friendship seeks the true good of the other person and needs to grow through personal contact and dedication. You can give someone gifts but friendship is more than that. It is loyalty, a shoulder to cry all the time and giving them a listening ear. Friendship is about understanding others, loving them and accepting them, the way they are and making excuses for them whenever they wrong you.
In conclusion Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmSIErk240g)
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