Christ associated the greatest possible human act with friendship

by David Yep, LC | Source: www.FormationToolbox.com

A friend brings out the best in you. He enables you to sacrifice more than you could otherwise give.

Christ associated the greatest possible human act with friendship: “There is no greater love, than the one who lays down his life for a friend.” (John 15:13)

A last few thoughts about that exemplar pair of friends. In the moment the Ring was finally destroyed, Frodo also reached his limit. The mission had totally consumed him. He was physically, emotionally and psychologically beaten.

He hung above the swirling lava, attached to life only by his friend’s hand, which strained to hold him, as the blood from Frodo’s missing finger made the hold ever more perilous.

Words that Sam had spoken earlier ran through his mind: “How could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was after so much bad had happened?”

And Frodo had no answer. He had no reason to live. And his hand slowly slipped through Sam’s.

If you have a true friend, you have surely had the experience of staying up extra late, driving extra far, thinking about or praying extra hard for him when he wasn’t doing well. I once drove 3½ hours to a friend’s race because he told me was extra nervous. I was there and he won, clocking in with his go-kart at record time.

“Don’t you let go,” begged Sam. It was the look in Sam’s eye and the tone of his voice that spoke to Frodo “I need you!” His plea gave Frodo a reason to live. Frodo went farther, he surpassed his limit, he gave more; all because of friendship.

Of course going above and beyond the limit is something we would do for a friend.

But it is also one of the best ways to grow in a friendship. Is there someone with whom you want to grow in friendship? Look for the opportunity to go above and beyond. Only a true friend would drive so long and so far for a race, because it’s more than just a race, it’s a friend’s race. If you can do that, good sign, because we only do those type of things for someone who is really important to us.

David Yep writes for www.formationtoolbox.com

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