Good morning…
“Friendship is one of the greatest gifts a human being can receive,” observes Henri Nouwen’s morning meditation from 1.7.18. “It is a bond beyond common goals, common interests, or common histories. It is a bond stronger than sexual union can create, deeper than a shared fate can solidify, and even more intimate than the bonds of marriage or community. Friendship is being with the other in joy and sorrow, every when we cannot increase the joy or decrease the sorrow. It is a unity of souls that gives nobility and sincerity to love. Friendship makes all of life shine brightly. Blessed are those who lay down their lives for their friends.”
Along with sending me this loving devotional, my friend shared these thoughts: “Every time this annual Nouwen meditation shows up in my mailbox, I smile in recognition and gratitude. Our friendship is so blessed by God and it blesses so many others as we lean in and learn more about God from each other and then turn and share those gifts with others—especially those in our families who need more than we can give. God is multiplied between us. A real communion.”
From the very first day, we were there together, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands, God is multiplied between us. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we’re telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 1:2-3, MSG).
Taking in all of life with trusted friends, the Word of Life appears before our eyes and the intimate, infinite Life of God himself takes shape among us. We are blessed to share life’s joy and to endure life’s sorrow in communion with the Father, his Son, and our God-given friends.
…Sue…
P.S. Who are your trusted friends, friends with whom the Word of Life appears and the Life of God takes shape between you? Please forward this message to your inner circle friends, with a smile of recognition and a personal note of gratitude.
