Friendship

We took time for an exploration of friendship.  Each of us answered three questions:
What is friendship?
What are the qualities of a true friend?
Which of these qualities do you demonstrate?
Then we gathered together to share what we had written.

Friendship was described as:
--When you bond with someone else.
--A relationship that reflects who you are and the common interests you have.
--Trusting someone
--A bond between two or more people that is truthful.
--A"union of souls."
--Being a companion with another person.
--Accompaniment, going with, learning with.

The qualities of a true friend that we identified were abundant:
--kind
--generous
--helpful
--someone you can relate to
--someone you can hang out with, talk to, have fun with
--someone who never lets you do anything stupid alone
--a "backup"
--supportive
--faithful
--honest
--reliable
--responsible
--respectful
--a good listener
--"backboard on a basketball net"
--trustworthy
--caring
--a good listener
--someone who forgives
--someone who doesn't judge you
--is there for you in time of need
--someone who entrusts you
--who is grateful
--honors confidentiality
--committed
--fair
--does the right thing
--easy to identify
--someone who stands up for you

That's a great list!  Being a good friend requires hard work, deep commitment, and a willingness to grow! Each of us searched ourselves for such qualities, and identified important ones that we aspire to.
We then read together the stirring story in Mark 2:1-12 of the four people who carry a paralyzed man to Jesus.  We considered how the four might be manifesting friendship.  We described then as:
(a) determined
(b) caring
(c) innovative
(d) working together in order to get to Jesus
(e) desperate
(f) other-centered
(g) compassionate
(h) in solidarity with their friend
(i) holy, and wholly, for Jesus

How do these descriptions of friendship relate to how we want to be s friends to others?  Toward the end of class, some folks began sharing stories from their own lives and from school that manifested these same things.
Can you add some more?
There is a famous hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus."  What are some of the key actions and qualities of friendship that we see in Jesus?