Ed, my neighbour next door, has often told me the only best friend you can count on is a dog. "A dog is loyal and true," claims Ed. "A human friend is like a family member in that they will let you down sooner or later."
Rumour has it that Ed's Uncle Jack rode out of town with family money and disappeared south of the border leaving Ed's family to a time of financial collapse. According to Ed, his friends disappeared when a high school prank backfired. Ed was the only one disciplined for it. His friends let Ed take the blame for the prank which they all were involved in carrying out. Ed says it bluntly, "Don't trust anybody - especially friends and relatives. Trusting them is like the father and stepmother of Lizzie Borden trusting Lizzie with a hatchet."
For sure the record of faithfulness of family and friends can be pretty questionable. From the beginning there have been lots of disappointments. Cain killed his brother Abel. Jacob stole what was rightfully his brother Esau's. Joseph's brothers wanted to kill him, but sold him as a slave instead. Samson was betrayed by Delilah. There is no doubt friends and family members can do us wrong, but that is only part of the truth.
Family and friends can be more loyal and true than a dog. They can be the best thing that ever happened to us. In families, it is never just about having the same parents or relationship by blood or marriage - it is having a connection of respect, love, interest and commitment. With friends, it is more than school, work, team, community or church association. It is also about being bound to others by respect, love, interest and commitment.
God gives us our family and our friends. God gave David a friend in Jonathan, King Saul's son. Jonathan protected David when it became clear Saul was intent on killing David. God gave Naomi her daughter-in-law Ruth. As a poor widow, Naomi needed to return to Bethlehem to her only relatives. Ruth insisted on going with Naomi. Her words captured what is at the heart of family: "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."
Jesus proved God is committed to us in love, respect and supreme interest. Rarely are we willing to lay down our lives to save a family member or friend. Our self love stops us from dying for others. Jesus said it this way: "Greater love has no one than he who lays down his life for his friends." Sadly, like Cain, we may ask, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Perhaps we deny our friends and family saying, "We are not that close!"
God gave His one and only Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. He did this to show us his love. Jesus came and lived with us. He stayed with us on Earth. He was willing to die for us. He said to God the Father in heaven, "I am their keeper by my life and death for them so that they can be forgiven and freed from themselves. They can freely act in love towards others as a friend and family member, as I have done so for them! They can live in love which is my most excellent way. It never fails to overcome evil with good."
