Today in Sunday school we discussed the importance
of friendship as a fundamental need. It
is common to find human behavior seeking this elemental relationship often in circuitous
ways. For example, the base of the
desire to be rich, famous, or powerful is often ultimately a desire to have
close friends and admirers. The irony is
that once becoming rich, famous or powerful; the doubts about who are truly one’s
friends become more problematic as then all comers can be suspected of having mixed
or hidden motives directed at gaining access in one way or another to one’s wealth,
fame, or power. One then becomes
conflicted—even despairing—fearing they are liked not for who they are but what
they have—their “friendships” thus becoming distasteful conspiracies of mutual exploitation. More direct routes to friendship are
indicated. Invite someone over for
simple things—like conversation or to watch a movie. To build friendship in this more direct way can
avert addictive, deceitful fantasies and misdirected activities.
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