Help from my Friends

Last week I was listening to some old favourite songs… including the Beatles ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’. It starts ‘What would you think if I sang out of tune, would you stand up and walk out on me…? What are good friends like?

Distinctive: Yesterday morning, Minister Lou was talking about salt and light. ‘You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.’ Salt makes things better; light makes things visible. Salt and light make a positive distinctive difference. Good friends are positively distinctive.

Diverse: Last night at ‘New Words Fresh Voices’ I heard a wonderful variety of local writers – poetry, song… personal experiences, insightful observations… humorous, thought-provoking… football-lovers, football-haters… a rich diversity. Good friends are diverse and different from me.   

Defenders: This morning’s England 3-2 win over Mexico was described as ‘One of the greatest results in England’s world cup history’. With one player sent off the England players worked as a team defending their hard-fought lead. Good friends work together defending each other.

Dedicated: I read from Proverbs: ‘There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.’ False friends only want friends for their own benefit; real friends ‘stick closer than a brother’ Good friends are dedicated to each other

Dependable: Returning to the song: ‘I’ll get by with a little help from my friends, goin’ to try with a little help from my friends…’ It’s about friends who are there when I’m singing out of tune, when life is disappointing or problematic. Friends are dependable in all situations.

Definition… Demonstration: ‘Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ Jesus both defines and later demonstrates such loving friendship

Disciples… Divine: ‘You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants… Instead, I have called you friends…’ Jesus says that his followers can be his friends.