Reflections on a Holy Friendship

While trying to get ideas about what to write for this month’s newsletter, I decided to peruse the March-April edition of The Upper Room devotional to see what was written about for April 5, Palm Sunday. The devotion, written by Pamela Hawkins of TN, focuses on Luke 19:35, and is entitled “Holy Friendship.” It’s a great piece of writing that really evokes some great questions about the community of faith and its relationship with one another.

Jesus serves as a great model for us this Lenten and, fast-approaching, Easter season. He shows to us that the community of faith is to rely upon one another for all things. Hawkins writes that, “As a young colt stamps the dust, cloaks are quickly thrown onto its back. And then the strong arms of the disciples lift Jesus. He does not climb up alone; he depends on his friends as he faces the road ahead.” (Upper Room, 46) Jesus relies on his friends, his followers, to help him get up on a donkey – a medial task that really did not require assistance. Jesus humbles himself, thus setting yet another great example of how we are to live as faithful Christian disciples.

And, as we are so familiar with the events of Holy Week, we know that getting up onto the colt was not the only time that the disciples helped Jesus. Upon explaining some of Jesus’ experiences with the disciples this last week of his life, Hawkins writes, “…once again a few will put their hands under his arms and lower him from the cross. Intimate moments, all.” (Upper Room, 46) Jesus’ last journey in Jerusalem not only begins with help from his friends, but it also ends with help from his friends. Even in his death, Jesus shows the community of faith how life is to be lived. Holy friendship is crucial to the life of the Christian community.

Even though not all of the disciples got along with one another, they still followed the example that Jesus, their Teacher, set before them – loving God as much as they could by loving each other as much as they could. This is what Lent and Easter are all about: LOVE. Not the mushy, box-of-chocolate-love that we ogle over in February; rather, it’s the kind of love that drives someone to go out of their way to honor the image of God that is reflected in each and every person. This is the love that we experience in Jesus. This is the love that should be modeled by the Christian community.

As we come to the middle of this Holy Lent and come ever closer to entering into the even holier season of Easter, I pray that we remember that as followers of Jesus the Christ we are a resurrection people. And as a resurrection people, we are to live as the One whom we follow – the resurrected Christ – the One who shows us how to live and how to love through the power of God’s Spirit – the One who leaned and relied on his friends when he could have done it all himself. Lean and love on others during these holy seasons. And let others lean and love on you. It’s what we as a Christian community were made to do.