A dog called Oscar had as his friend a white cat called Arthur; they were constant companions. One day Arthur died and his owner buried him in the back garden. Next morning he awoke to find Oscar curled up beside Arthur in the same basket where they always slept. It seems that Oscar went out through the dog-flap, dug up the cat, dragged him back to the house through the dog-flap, put him in the basket, and licked him clean and then fell asleep exhausted. It was quite a feat for Arthur was a huge cat and used to help Oscar climb onto the sofa. Both animals were inseparable but Oscar now has a new friend, a small kitten called Limpet.
We had two miniature Schnauzers who shared a large basket and Cadbury, our Chocolate Point Siamese cat, used to sneak up and climb in as they settled down to sleep. The three were clearly friends and when Schweppes died Fritz her brother searched the garden, under every bush and tree trying to find her. He clearly missed her and became pensive at her disappearance – but she was not buried in the garden!
Friendship, even amongst the animal realm, is a heart-moving, wonderful and rare thing. If you have one friend you are rich. Many are the quotations from philosophers and famous people on friendship. “Books, like friends, should be few and well chosen” said Samuel Paterson, and “I keep my friends as misers do their treasure, because, of all the things granted us by wisdom, none is greater or better than friendship.” — Pietro Aretino (1537). It was Len Wein who said – “A true friend is someone who is there for you when he’d rather be anywhere else.” And the Bible comes to our aid with this saying: “An honest answer is the sign of true friendship.” (Proverbs 24:26)
I am sure that Jesus has a greater love for me than that dog had for Arthur, and Cadbury had for Fritz and Schweppes and, speaking reverentially, on Calvary He ensured I was licked clean! “Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 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.” (John 15:13-15). What a great friendship! Aren’t you glad Jesus is our friend?
The maiden in the Song of Songs says “He is my friend.” He is the friend to all those who call upon Him. “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Prov 18:24). He sticks to us through thick and thin, as they say; the ups and downs of living in all the complex vagaries and vicissitudes of tumultuous trials and opposition.
He knows all about us, and yet is still our friend; that is the mark of true friendship. We cannot hide anything from Him, we are an open book, which he can read effortlessly. But for all our faults and shortcomings he is still our friend. “Love is rarer than genius itself. And friendship is rarer than love.” (Charles Peguy). That is a strong saying, for love and friendship must be present in a marriage, for if it is just love then love can fail, for it could be lust. To make a bond like that work, it must have friendship for it was Dag Hammarskjold who said “Friendship needs no words…” The silence of marriage is exactly that, or should be.
The climax of friendship love is to die for the other. Lip-love is proved suspect if it is disinclined to forfeit life itself. But Jesus is no such fraud; he not only died but in his resurrection he also showered us with underserved grace. Jonathan risked death to assemble with David; Jesus not only risked death but went under the murky waters of the grave so that we might partake of that crystal flowing river. Our value is estimated by our worth to God and that worth is confirmed by the death of His only son; we are very valuable to God.
