Friendship, as an idea of Mind, is one of God's precious gifts to His children. It is eternal, unchangeable, sparkling with the reflected light of perfect Love. An understanding of its true spiritual nature exalts all human relationships and is attainable by everyone. Thus understood, friendship lifts us out of selfishness, loneliness, limitation, into service, joyousness, and freedom. It calls forth our noblest qualities, and helps us to understand true being. Just as the flowers of the spring brighten the meadows with gorgeous colorings, so true friendship cheers and makes glad the heart that is pure enough to nurture it; and like the blossoms that need the light, it must be bathed in Love's sunshine.
The word "friend" is derived from an Anglo-Saxon verb meaning "to love." But so generally has friendship been abused and perverted that our revered Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, has written in "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 80), "There are no greater miracles known to earth than perfection and an unbroken friendship."
Christ Jesus' life purpose was to make the infinite friendship of God available to mankind. By his reflection of divine Love the Master was the world's greatest friend, and in turn he taught his followers how to become true friends. He radiated friendliness, the effect of his thinking, and when he looked upon the leper, the sinner, or the beggar, he did not pass by "on the other side." Tenderly and compassionately he opened blind eyes, comforted those who mourned, and led those who thirsted for righteousness to wells of living water. The welfare of mankind was uppermost in his thought, and he counseled his followers to befriend others, assuring them, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." He admitted no ties of the flesh, but befriended those in need. He called his disciples not servants, but friends. He proved the supremacy of Love over hate in the garden of Gethsemane and called Judas "friend." And he proved himself the friend to all mankind when he gave himself on the cross that God's purpose and plan might be better understood.
