A couple of things have happened this week to inspire my reflection today. Firstly, at the end of the week, we said goodbye to our beloved dog Sammy of 13 years. Often called Man’s Best Friend, dogs are certainly close friends of the families they live in, always present, in Sammy’s case - making his presence known vocally. Despite the barking, he will be deeply missed. Earlier in the week we went as a family to see the new Toy Story film (I highly recommend it). These are almost always excellent but this one was one of the best, and the story this focussed on the realities of friendship in a digital age.
Jesus was no stranger to friendship - on the beach after the resurrection when they were fishing he shouts “friends” to get their attention. The Greek word here is actually more like “mates or lads” - someone who is well known, and deeply loved.
Friendship can be hard however, especially as we get older. I watch my kids, who seem to make a new best friend every time we visit a park. As adults, it rarely works like that. The spontaneity fades, diaries get complicated, and somehow years can pass before you realise you've lost touch with someone who once mattered enormously. The digital age promises to keep us connected - and in some ways it does - but there's a difference between having five hundred followers and having someone who will sit with you when things fall apart.
Which is perhaps why the friendship of Jesus is so striking. He says in the gospels, "I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything”. He doesn’t offer us a connection request, or a follow request on twitter - but in invites us to know him. This is the kind of friendship where we are fully seen, fully known and fully loved.
As we remember Sammy this week - who gave that kind of uncomplicated, utterly present companionship that only a dog really can - and as we think about the friendships in our own lives, it might be worth asking: who have I been meaning to reach out to? Who needs to hear from me this week? Friendship, like faith, rarely maintains itself. It needs showing up.
May you know the friendship of Jesus, and may you be that kind of friend to someone this week.
