No One is More Precious than A Faithful Friend

Johanes Baptista Adhi Samudro

Jesus Christ is our risen Lord and Saviour; but we need to remember He is also our best
friend especially in times of storms or trouble in life. As the Lord says: "As the Father has
loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will
remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have
told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command
is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down
one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you
servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you
friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not
choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that
will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my
command: Love each other." (St. John 15: 9 – 17)
To recall and remember that the Lord Jesus is our friend, we also could sing from the
heart a well – known and inspiring song: "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and
griefs to bear; what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer; Oh, what peace we often
forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear; all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer;
Have we trials and temptations?, is there trouble anywhere?, we should never be discouraged,
take it to the Lord in prayer; Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?,
Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer." We are told that to sing is to
pray twice but it is important to remember that both prayer and spiritual songs need to come
from the heart and with deep faith. Otherwise the will be meaningless.
The emphasis on the Lord Jesus in His role as a closest and our best friend is intended
to mark the United Nations International Day of Friendship on July 30. In a statement the UN
says our world faces many challenges, crises and forces of division – such as poverty, violence
and human rights abuses. These undermine peace, security, development and social harmony
among the world's peoples.
According to the UN, to confront those crises and challenges, their root causes need to
be addressed by promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity that takes many
forms – the simplest of which is friendship. Through friendship – by accumulating bonds of
camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust – we can contribute to the fundamental shifts
that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us, and
generate passion for a better world where we are united for the greater good.
The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General
Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals
can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. The resolution places
emphasis on involving young people, as future leaders, in community activites that include
different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity. To mark
the International Day of Friendship, the UN encourages governments, international
organizations, and civil society groups to hold events, activities and initiatives that contribute
to the efforts of the international community towards promoting a dialogue among civilizations,
solidarity, mutual understanding and reconciliation.
The International Day of Friendship is an initiative that follows on the proposal made
by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defining the
culture of peace as a set of values, attitudes and behaviours that reject violence and endeavour
to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes with a view to solving problems. It was
then adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1997.
Outlining its actions to promote a cultural peace, the UN says we need to foster a culture
of peace through education, promote sustainable economic and social development, promote
respect for human rights, ensure equality between women and men, foster democratic
participation, advance understanding, tolerance and solidarity, support participatory
communication and the free flow of information and knowledge and promote international
peace and security.
The Lord Jesus has told us that the opposite of friendship is bitterness and anger,
jealousy and envy, taking revenge, indulging in gossip or slander that damage the character of
others and related vices. The Lord Jesus also tell us that when we indulge in such vices we not
only hurt others but also damage ourselves mentally, physically and spiritually. That is why
the Lord Jesus has said, "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, help those who hurt
you and pray for those who persecute you," (St. Matthew 5: 44). There is a popular saying that
to err is human, to forgive is divine. That is why, that in response to a question the Lord Jesus
told St. Peter that we need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to forgive not just seven times
but seventy times seven. Imagine what would happen. We would become seventy times seven
more like God. What a privilege. Though the worldly ways suggest that to forgive is a sign of
weakness, the Lord tells us that forgiveness gives us the power to become more like God.
In a book titled "Christus Vivit", Pope Francis says, "No matter how much you live the
experience of these years of your youth, you will never know their deepest and fullest meaning
unless you encounter each day your best friend, the friend who is Jesus. Friendship is one of
life's gifts and a grace from God. Through our friends, the Lord refines us and leads us to
maturity. Faithful friends, who stand at our side in times of difficulty, are also a reflection of
the Lord's love, His Gentle and consoling presence in our lives. The experience of friendship
teaches us to be open, understanding and caring towards others, to come out of our own
comfortable isolation and to share our lives with others. For this reason, there is no one so
precious as a faithful friend.