Editorial October 23, 1926 Issue

Friendship

Ella W. Hoag

A wise writer has declared, "By friendship you mean the greatest love, the greatest usefulness, the most open communication, the severest truth, the heartiest counsel, and the greatest union of minds of which brave men and women are capable." How true a definition of friendship this is! For who that has had a real friend has not found in him the splendid qualities of loving-kindness, helpfulness, frankness, patience, unflinching loyalty and fidelity, confidence, and deepest sympathy in purpose and action. In Proverbs we read, "A friend loveth at all times;" and true friendship could never express less than such unfaltering devotion.

Now friendship knocks at the door of every one, and there are few things which concern mankind more definitely or more closely than a right understanding of this subject. True relationships among men everywhere are quite dependent on a right estimate of friendship, since false concepts in this direction have resulted in much of the apparent misery in the world. Indeed, when men have proved themselves untrue to the name of friend, most trying situations have inevitably resulted; for the very foundation of human associations has then been shaken and whole superstructures of human interests have often suffered most heart-rending wreckage.

Christian Science exalts true friendship, even as it lifts on high all else that is noble and Christlike. In "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 80) Mrs. Eddy has written, "There are no greater miracles known to earth than perfection and an unbroken friendship." Christian Scientists are therefore called upon to live up to the highest ideal in this as in all things. They have no more right to imagine they can prove untrue to Truth and Love by expressing less than real friendship than in failing to reflect any other holy quality which concerns the happiness of mankind individually or as a whole. Instead, their unquestioned duty is to learn what Christian Science teaches about friendship and then put such teaching into constant practice.

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