“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends…“
John 15:12-14a
Dear friends,
In the midst of these strange times, this month we celebrate Memorial Day and remember those who’ve given of themselves for their country. In the Gospel of John, Jesus describes this kind of ultimate giving, the kind of self-less love that puts one’s own life at risk, when he says, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.“ I don’t know about you, but that phrase has new meaning for me this year when I think about the service of all those on the front lines of this pandemic who are risking their lives for the rest of us. Surely this is a time to pause and reflect on the courage and self-sacrifice of those who have given of themselves in this way.
In that same passage, Jesus calls his beloved disciples, “friends.“ Several weeks ago, our children were asked to draw a picture of the friends that they are missing, how they are staying in touch, and what they will do when they can be together again. Together we thought and prayed for our friends. Kate Muhs drew this great picture of running with her friend, Victoria!
“This is me running with may BFF Victoria.”
Jesus uses the imagery of friendship to teach the disciples, and us, the true nature of what God is asking of us. Not simply students learning a set of rules to teach others, nor co-workers or traveling companions following in his footsteps, Jesus said, “I have called you friends.“
What does your experience tell you of true friendship? Young and old, each of us knows in our hearts the qualities that characterize a true and beloved friend. Patience and forgiving come to mind for me. A friend is someone always ready to listen and someone who can be trusted to have the courage to be honest and caring. Friendship of this kind builds bridges across differences. For example, I count among some of my closest friends those of other faiths, and I hold my Muslim spiritual cousins in prayer this month as they celebrate Ramadan apart from one another.
As Christians, Jesus’ charge to us is clear. He is asking us to build strong relationships of friendship, even when we cannot reach out to clasp hands or embrace one another. Even in a time of social distancing, even when we disagree, we can be bound together in love and loyalty, patience and forgiveness, courage for listening and candor, and willingness to give of ourselves. And our children will learn about this sort of friendship as they watch and listen to us living our faith. This month as we celebrate Memorial Day and remember those who gave and are giving so much on our behalf, let us recommit ourselves to creating a community that is a reflection of these virtues…a community bound by deep friendships with each other and the world around us.
In peace,
Karen Nell