True Friendship

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly”
Proverbs 18:24

Recently I received in the mail, a letter from a Financial Institution offering a product that would help me save money. A week later, I received a phone call from a friendly-sounding person who told me he wanted to make my like easier from the same outfit as a follow up. He called me by my first name, preceding with my title (Rev.), and warmly asked how my day was going. Then he informed me that he could help me save thousands of my hard earned dollars a year if I would simply move my RRSP to a particular Financial Institution. But once he understood that I was not really interested, his friendliness evaporated. Such insincere friendliness is often just a culturally correct attitude that some people use to impress others or to get something from them.

Contrast that self-serving attitude with the genuine friendship Jesus showed us. He said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” Then Jesus demonstrated the self-sacrificing love for us dying on the cross for the forgiveness of sin.

Our summer was packed with activities: Firstly I attended the tenth Biennial Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada that was held in Winnipeg, Manitoba July 21-24. One of the highlights of the convention for me, was meeting old friends from Seminary time, and previous parishes I served out West. It was such a blessing to sit over a meal to shoot the breeze, and share with one another about family, and ministry since ordination. I noticed in our conversations, we’ve all changed to some degree, our theology has changed, a little older, grayer, bald, some with no hair at all, and heavy around the waist, and but still loving the Lord.

After the convention, my family and I traveled further west to visit family and friends. We put 12,337 kilometers on the old faithful Chevy van of ours. We enjoyed and thus thanked our friends who opened their homes and their shared meals with us as we journeyed across this great and vast land. The prairie hospitality is something to be admired. We had a marvelous time seeing old friends and making new ones on our journey. True friendliness can be a magnet that draws people to Christ.

What is a friend? Socrates once asked a simple old man what he was most thankful for. The man replied, “That being such as I am, I have had the friends I have had.” Some ‘friends’ are fickle. In the book of Proverbs we read: “Wealth makes many friends, but the poor is separated from his friends” (Prov.19:4). A true friend, however, “loves at all times” and “sticks closer than a brother”. (Prov.18:24, 28). Our English word friend comes from the same root as the word freedom. A genuine friend sets us free to be who and what we are. We can pour out our doubt and talk freely about the wolves and coyotes howling at the door of our lives. A true and faithful friend also affirms our worth.

Our world has so many people who need just one act of love to change their lives. These people may not think they fit in, or they may be facing turmoil that makes them feel all alone. Sometimes all we need to do is extend a hand, offer a smile, or speak a word of encouragement. There are enough people to go around so that everyone can have friends. Let us take the initiative to make sure no one is left out.

This is what I wish for members and friends of St. Ansgar Lutheran, and all people as we approach the 8th year of ministry together. I hope and pray that our ministry in this congregation will continue to deepen as we practice genuine friendship which will bring honour, and glory to God, our heavenly father.

‘True friendliness can be a magnet that draws people to Christ’

Peace be with you.

Your friend and pastor,
Pastor Samuel K King-Kabu.
Pastor@st-ansgars-montreal.ca

Web Page prepared by:
Roger Kenner & Jette Blair.
Content-New Topics Last Updated: 2005/11/09
St. Ansgar's Lutheran Church - Montreal