Friendships are one of those things we seldom truly value in the company of those we call friends, yet when it comes down to it, friends are a gift from God that should be cherished. Nouwen viewed friends this way but also understood that they were a gift from God, and not a replacement of God. According to Ford, Nouwen believed friends “had limitations and weaknesses, like everyone else, and their love was never complete. But through their limitations they could be signposts on the journey toward the unlimited and unconditional love of God.” I have had several friends in my life that have pointed me toward God. These are current friends and old friends. Thanks to both an old friend and a current friend, I am coming to realize that true friendships don’t die, they may alter given life’s circumstances, but they don’t die. In the book, Bread for the Journey, Nouwen says, “We will never fully know the significance of our presence in the lives of our friends.” This is true, but it is also true that our friends will never know their significance in our lives unless we tell them. Thanks friend!
Development and Justice 