I Have Called You Friends

Way back, when I was a student at Dalhousie University I decided to make an appointment with one of my professors.  I felt that I needed some extra help.  He suggested that we meet over coffee in the cafeteria, which we did.  He was quite helpful, I might add.

As our meeting was drawing to an end another man approached us.  I recognized him as another professor at the University.  My professor greeted him and introduced us.  The part of the introduction that surprised me was when I was introduced as, “this is my friend John.”

I wasn’t ignored; I wasn’t introduced as a student, or a student that needs extra help, but simply as, my friend.

That was over 25 years ago and the feeling of self-worth it stirred up in me continues to be a powerful memory.  No wonder the followers of Jesus Christ remembered him saying, “I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” (John 15:15)

Our very existence in the world is predicated on being in a friendship with Jesus and with God. God wanted friends, is the simple and powerful answer to the question, why? And clearly, we were not created to be puppets, or servants but friends:  friends with the free will to opt out, to choose not to be friends with God.

As God’s people, God’s friends we have been blessed with memory, reason and skill.  All of which we can use to help fulfill the mission made known to us by Jesus Christ, to love one another and invite everyone to be a friend.  Imagine God pointing a giant God-like finger at you and saying to one of the angels, “this is my friend.”