Editorial January 5, 1918 Issue

The Real Friend

William D. McCrackan

All need a friend whether they want one or not. The Christ within is that friend, the "strongest deliverer, friend of the friendless," as Mrs. Eddy states in her hymn on page 399 of "Miscellaneous Writings." The rich and the poor alike cannot be really happy without this friend. Jesus was a friend of the publicans and sinners. He said: "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." The great love which Jesus expressed for all humanity made him the friend of one and all. Like Abraham he was also the friend of God, and this close friendship gave him authority to turn away from and deny all human ties. His loyalty, his activity, his perseverance, his obedience to God made him spiritually attractive to all those who were seeking the Christ, Truth, the Way-shower to the kingdom of heaven on earth. Jesus being the friend of humanity laid down his life to save the world, and in doing this he found his real life in the ascension. His oneness with God is promised to all who believe on the word of Truth and live it. As we read in Proverbs: "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

The real friend expresses big-hearted, mellow fellowship, does not give or take offence, preserves the ever loving gaze which is without destructive criticism but is looking for the Christ-child, recognizes the kingdom of heaven on earth, and upholds, uplifts, and is ready to fight with the two-edged sword of right thinking as well as to still the fears of the fearful. As friend meets friend in a higher understanding of friendship there comes the feeling that the Christ, Truth, moves and uses his own in unfolding God's work. The real friend tenderly calms the mother's anxiety over her children by guiding her thought to the fact that Father-Mother God is her protecting friend as well as the friend of her children. Little children sometimes make friends of the ugliest types of humanity, and often a hardened nature has been softened by their gentle, loving, trusting appeal.

The one who feels friendless learns through Christian Science how to become a friend, thus adding to himself a host of friends; for Christian Scientists all over the world become the friends of mankind in so far as they live the Christ love. The loyal friend stands the test of friendship in the hour of trial when error would falsify in order to separate or the evil intender would malign in order to erect a wall of hatred. On page 80 of "Retrospection and Introspection" Mrs. Eddy writes, "There are no greater miracles known to earth than perfection and an unbroken friendship." Such a miracle is clothed in righteousness, carrying out the eternal demand of God to be perfect in love, forgiving, forbearing, enduring. The constancy of a holy friendship is like the trust of little children in their heavenly Father to work out all problems in the unfolding of divine goodness.

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