A friend in need...

Last evening, as those 70 mph winds started to whip up, there was an unexpected knock on the Manse door.  We opened it to a neighbour we had never spoken to before, who had thoughtfully come across to tell us our blue bin had blown over and our recycling rubbish was now making its way into every garden in the close!  Amid the howling gale this was actually a very nice encounter, full of friendly banter and, at the request of our neighbour, an opportunity for him to meet the dog.  He’d only heard her bark before! 

After saying ‘goodbye’, and before I dashed off to lead a Housegroup, we organised a family activity to clean up our rubbish and secure the bin more firmly for this morning’s collection.

Isn’t it so often the case that we humans seem to get along more easily if we can lend a helping hand.

If someone seems to have life sown up we sometimes avoid them, yet if we and they share a common need, or if we can lend a hand, then empathy flows and the door of friendship opens a little easier.

Perhaps that old adage is right: A friend in need, is a friend indeed.

Certainly Jesus found that often those who felt accomplished and self-sufficient avoided him.  Yet those who ‘owned’ their vulnerability in life readily opened their hearts to him and his message.

And perhaps that’s the key. It’s as we recognise and appreciate each other’s humanity, both its weakness alongside its strength, that we covenant together to walk as friends, with Jesus in the middle.

Blog holiday next week.