A friend loves at all times. (Proverbs 17:17)
It always breaks my heart to hear it, but some people simply don’t have any friends. For whatever reason, they go through life never feeling as though they belong. They have no one to comfort them when they hurt. No one to laugh with, cry with, celebrate with. For those among us who have been blessed with solid friendships, it’s hard to truly empathize. We take for granted the friendships we have and never really give a second thought to those who go without. I think this happens more often than we want to admit.
Thanks be to God, there is one place in the world where the friendless can find what they seek: the church. Maybe it’s a little pie-in-the-sky to think this way, but I am convinced that what the Holy Spirit produces among the people who belong to Christ are hearts that are open to the needs of others – to bear and to carry, to tolerate and accept, even to love. I know this is true because I have seen it firsthand here at EMC, where the friendless find within our doors a community of loving acceptance, support, and hospitality. It’s a beautiful thing to watch, though there is always room for growth.
In the end, what matters most is the friendship of Jesus. He doesn’t call you servant or slave. No, he desires to be your friend (John 15:15). He looks into your face and speaking deeply from his heart he declares, “It is good that you exist.” It is because of him that I have hope for the church to be the only place in the world where the friendless can find fulfillment. Let him befriend the friendless through you.
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