On Life 53 – Friends – November 21, 2014

   Our life becomes much easier, and its pains lesser when we are accompanied by a true friend. It is said that “A fried is a brother and a great blessing which is not felt save by those who posses it, whereas those who lack in it feel how dreary life is.” A true friend is close to you, not because of your money, social status, or authority, only to disappear when they do!

   Your friend is honest to you in all life issues. His love for you makes him wish you the best. When you seek his input, he offers you the most faithful opinion. When you need help, his supports you without you asking him to do. He is happy for your happiness, and senses your pain without your uttering a word. A true friend knows your feeling from the first moment he sees you, unlike others who you might have known for quite a while.

   Your friend bears you when you are upset and, no matter what happens, he keeps in mind your good stances. There is a lovely story about two friends who, while walking, one got agitated and slapped the other who got sad. So, he wrote on the sand, “Today, my friend slapped me!” As they continued, the person who slapped his friend was about to drown. So, his friend saved him. So, he wrote on a rock, “Today, my friend saved me.” When his friend asked him why he wrote “slapped” on the sand and “saved” on a rock, he answered, “I wanted to write bad stances on the sand that they might go with the wind, whereas great stances are written on a rock to last!” A friend never forgets the great stances you went through, despite the presence of problems.

   A true friend adamantly refuses whatever does not suit you, or can hurt you, even though you might insist on carrying it out. He is always there for you to tell you to be patient. He always helps you understand the reality of things. A friend knows your drawbacks; yet, he loves you so deeply that he endures you, thus, making your life less painful. Though your life might get so difficult that you reject your friend, he remains faithful to you as he knows the true meaning and role of friendship.

   The most important thing one might need is a true friend. I recall a story which I read about a soldier who asked his commander to allow him go fetch his friend who did not return, but the latter refused. So, the soldier went out and came injured, carrying his friend’s corpse. But, the commander scolded him for doing something worthless that could have cost him his life. The soldier answered, “I found him dying. Yet, as soon as he saw me, he said, ‘I knew you would come!” It is believed, “If you have a friend, then you are wealthy.”

General Bishop

Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center