Thursday, April 17, 2008

friendship

I'm kind of excited today, and trying to fight off a cold at the same time. This evening Deb and I are going to meet our blogging friend and writer, L.L. Barkat. She is in town for the festival of faith and writing at Calvin College. It's a wonderful annual event, and I'm so glad she can be a part of it! And I can't wait to read her book, Stone Crossings: Finding Grace in Hard and Hidden Places. All other books will be interrupted, put on stop, put on hold, as I read this book. I know I will be blessed in my own life, and I plan to give it to others. And I will blog on it.

Friendship is my favorite aspect of blogging. An important part of friendship is sharing something of our lives with each other in words. Our words, according to Eugene Peterson, can communicate our hearts and true selves to each other.

To know that we are friends, and to look at everyone as a potential friend is a good thing. This is in large part why Jesus came: to reconcile us to God to be friends of God, and because of that to be reconciled to each other as friends who in many cases were enemies. This is why Jesus had to come, becoming one of us, and had to die, and then be resurrected, to bring this new potential for true and lasting friendship into this old world.

We know that we'll be friends in Jesus, with L.L. forever. What a wonderful thought! And friends with each other in our Lord.

Anyone with a thought or line to chime in here?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

friends forever...what a wonderful thought!

i am so happy that you all are gonna get together! yea!

i will be with you all in Spirit.

Love and prayer, nancy

Rachel Mc said...

Yes, it is good to have new friends and blogging certainly constitutes a new "community" and way of relating to people. My main thought is that blogging promotes friendships but with a limit. Unless you have met the person or had extensive conversations, maybe apart from blogging, you don't know their story or background. So I think the relationships can be guarded. That said, I know it is up to me to get out of these blogging friendships what I put into them. And I am sure that means responding more and sharing more of myself, and paying close attention to everyones' words. Words are powerful and wonderful and can convey a person's personality more so than first appearances.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Wish you could have been with us, Nancy. We had a great time. L.L. was so gracious and was a blessing to meet.

I kind of got a feel much better for who she is and for her world. And I'm excited to read her book. Can't wait. Have read the first chapter and I loved it.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Rachel,
I agree fully with every single word you say. I will add, while meeting a person is wonderful, and you get a better sense of who they are, yet to really get to know someone takes commitment and time. I know you would agree with that.

I especially like what you say about the power of words. It's true; they really do convey something of the essence of who we are.

Thanks.

L.L. Barkat said...

It was really, really dear to meet you and Deb. Thank you for coming my way, for sharing some tea and for blessing me with your heartfelt prayer.

Ted M. Gossard said...

L.L.,
It was an honor as well as fun to be with you. We both enjoyed it. And I read your book on Saturday, and reread chapter one and the questions today. I look forward to working through it slowly.