Power of Christ's Friendship

Erhaps we are paying too dearly for some of the boasted gains of our modern life. They tell us that in an ordinary lifetime a man really lives longer now than Methusaleh did in his nearly ten centuries of antediluvian time. But in our swift, intense life we are losing some things that people used to enjoy in their more leisurely days. Friendship is one of these. There is no time for it now, for friendship takes time. We touch each other only lightly and superficially in our crowded days. We have many acquaintances, and we may give and receive help and inspiration even in our hurried contacts. But in quieter, slower days, the people had time to live together, and enter into intimate relations in which they impressed each other’s life and did much in for tie ism

shaping and coloring each other’s character. The art of friendship is one we cannot afford to lose. Friendship means a great deal to us, not only as a source of pleasure and happiness, but in practical ways. We never can know what we owe to our friends, what they have done for us, how they have helped us, what they have done in the building of our character. Our lives are like buildings going up, and every one who comes to us, whether for a prolonged stay or only for a few moments, puts something into the walls or into the adornment. Our friends, if they are worthy, exert a measureless influence over us. One writes:

‘’^ He is my friend,^ I said — ‘Be patient.^ Overhead
The skies were drear and dim,
And lof the thought of him
Smiled on my heart — and then
The sun shone out again.

“‘He is my friend! ‘The words
Brought summer and the birds;
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And all my winter-time
Thawed into running rhyme
And rippled into song,
Warm, tender, brave, and strong J’

The thought that one who is noble, true, and worthy is our friend gives us a sense of companionship, even in loneHness. Such a consciousness is like a holy presence in which we cannot do anything unworthy. Such a friendship transforms us, enriches our character, sweetens our spirit, and inspires in us all upward aspirations and reachings. The thought of these influences and ministrations of human friendship helps us to understand a little better what the friendship of Christ may be to us, and what it may do for us and in us. For one of the ways in which Christ offers himself to us is as our Friend. Perhaps we do not think enough of this phase of his life. We speak of him as our Saviour, our Master, our Helper, but do we think of him often enough as our Friend .^^ Friendship implies intimacy. We love to be with a friend. We love to talk with him about [ 151 ] for tie OBet Ciingjs

all the sacred things of our life. Do we have any such intimacy with Christ? The other day one complained that he could scarcely get time any more to pray, he had so much to do. Life is indeed strenuous for many of us, full of duties which seem to forbid leisure. If our modern life is robbing us of the privileges of human friendship, is there not danger that it shall make close, intimate friendship with our Master also almost impossible? We read of some one spending a whole hour every morning with Christ, and we say, “That is impossible in my crowded life.” But even if we can get no long hours alone with our Master, we can cultivate a friendship with him that will go on unbroken through the longest, busiest hours. Those who were close to the great Jesuit missionary, Francis Xavier, said that in the time of his most intense occupation he would often be heard saying in whispers, “Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!” He lived all the time with his Master.

That is not an impossible attainment for any [152] sincere and earnest Christian. We cannot always be on our knees in the formal attitude of prayer. We have our duties and we may not neglect them even for acts of devotion. This would not please our Master. We can conceive of occasions when prayer would not be the duty, when we ought even to leave our altar and attend to some service of love that needs us. But we may always pray while we work. Our hearts may be in communion with God even when our hands are busiest in activities. We may talk with Christ while we are serving him. In whatsoever we do we may have Christ with us and we may do all we do in his name. We do not have to leave our tasks in order to be with Christ. We may cultivate friendship with him in our busiest days.

If we would find the best that is in Christ, we must know him as a personal Friend. We are in danger of thinking that nothing counts in the Christian life but the activities; we must always be doing something, talking to somebody, holding meetings, making gar- [153] merits for the poor, relieving distress. But there is a better way. The disciples thought Mary had wasted her ointment when she had broken the vase and poured the precious nard on her Master’s head and feet. It had not done anybody any good. It had fed no hungry one, paid no one’s rent, put bread in no hungry mouth, clothed no shivering child. They thought that using it only to honor a friend was a waste. But the truth is, that never before nor since, in the history of the world, was so much value put to more blessed use. Think how Mary’s loving deed comforted the Master, warmed his heart and strengthened him for going to the cross. Then think how the telling of the story of her love has filled the world with sweet inspirations and gentle influences through all these centuries. Countless thousands have received impulses to lovely things through the story of Mary’s deed of affection. Thus the fragrant act of this quiet woman has started inspirations of love wherever the story has been told throughout the world. [154] pott of C]^t(0t’js fr(enD58]^(p

Of course it is worth while to build churches, found hospitals, and help the poor, but it is worth while also to cultivate friendship with Christ. The Chinese have a saying, “If you have two loaves of bread, sell one and buy a lily.” Some people toil only for loaves, never thinking of lilies. But bread is not all that people need. There are days when you are not hungry for food, but are longing for sympathy, for a word of kindness, for encouragement, for appreciation, for friendship. There are hours when you have everything you could crave of earthly comfort and blessing and of human affection and interest, but need the touch of the hand of Christ, some revealing of divine interest and affection. Sell a loaf and buy a lily, for the lily will mean more to you than the bread. Of all the blessings within your reach nothing will mean so much to you as the friendship of Christ. If you have it you will not miss anything else that you do not have. This friendship, close, constant, confidential, satisfying, will leave nothing else to be desired. [155]

Think, too, what the friendship of Christ will do for us in the way of spiritual culture. It was the friendship of Jesus that was the chief influence in the making of St. John. He was not always the apostle of love that we know in the Fourth Gospel and the Epistles. These were written when John was an old man. At first he was hasty in temper and speech, resentful, ambitious for place, not sweet and loving. But he accepted the friendship of Christ, allowing its holy blessedness to pour into his heart like sunshine. And it transformed him.

It is related that a friend once said to Lord Tennyson, “Tell me what Jesus Christ is to you, personally.*’ They were walking in the garden, and close by was a rosebush full of wonderful roses. Pointing to this miracle of nature, Lord Tennyson answered, “What the sun is to this rosebush, Jesus Christ is to me.” The sun had wooed out from the bare, briery bush of the spring days all that marvelous beauty of roses. And whatever was lovely, winsomcj and divine in the life of the [156] po)aptv of Cittsit’js fvimn&iiv

great poet, he meant to say had been wooed out of his natural self by the warmth of Christ’s love. So the John we know in later years was the St. John that the friendship of Christ had made. St. Paul tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control. These are the roses that grow on the thorny stem of human nature when the warmth of the love of Christ has been falling upon it.

Then the friendship of Christ makes our Christian work a thousand times more beautiful. Love has a strange power in calling out the best that is in us. They discovered the reason for the young soldier’s splendid courage in the battle, after he had fallen, in the picture of a fair face that he carried in his blouse pocket, over his heart. Love inspired his bravery. If the secrets of life were all known, it would be seen that the world’s best work in every field is done through love’s inspiration.

And the mightiest of all inspirations is the [157] for tle TBejst Ciingjs

love of Christ. There is a legend of a monk in a monastery cell, who painted picture after picture of martyrs, saints, and oftener than aught else, of the thorn-crowned face of Christ. His fellow-monks thought him mentally wanting, and said his pictures were mere daubs. But he endured their jeers, and worked on. He had dreamed over the Christ of Calvary until his soul was aflame with loving devotion, and he longed to make a picture which would honor his Lord. One night, when the scorn of his companions had been almost more than he could bear, he sought his cell with a breaking heart. “My life is wasted,” he cried. “I never can worthily paint my Beloved Master. To-morrow, the fire shall consume all these wretched failures.” He raised his streaming eyes, and lo, there was Another in his cell — One thorn-crowned, his face shining in ineffable beauty, the very face he had seen so often in his dreams, and longed to paint! Then a voice spoke, “All work is worthy that is done for love of me.” As he looked in wondering awe, his pictures [158]

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on the wall took on a transcendent loveliness. The dreams of tHe poor monk’s heart had found their realization.

Thus it is that the love of Christ transfigures the poorest, plainest things we do. We may be discouraged over the things we have been trying to do for Christ. A young Sunday-school teacher spoke with disheartenment of what seemed to her a failure in her efforts to do her pupils good. We all feel so of ourselves and our work. We cannot think that God will use anything so poor, so inadequate, so unworthy, as even our best. But let us remember that if the friendship of Christ is in our hearts, it is not we alone, but Christ and we, who do the work. Inspired by this friendship, even the smallest things we do if they are the best we can do, will be beautiful in heaven’s sight and will be accepted.

y]^t lot Be CtoubleD?

^’ Still on the lips of all we questioUf

The -finger of God’s silence lies; WiU the lost hands in ours be folded?

Will the shut eyelids ever rise? O friend, no proof beyond this yearning

This outreach of our hearts, we need; God will not mock the hope he giveth,

No love he prompts shall vainly plead. Then let u stretch our hands in darkness,

And call our loved ones o’er and o’er; Some day their arms will close about us,

And the old voices speak once mre,’’

“Thank God for friends your life has known.

For every dear, departed day;
The blessed past is safe alone —

God gives, but does not take away;
He only safely keeps above
For us the treasures that we lovej’