Editors’ note: 

From our core team of volunteers to each of you, may God bless you with a hope-filled and deeply meaningful Easter. 

Today we bring you the fourth in our Easter week 2022 quiet time series. Whether you choose to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection according to the Catholic or Orthodox tradition, or in some other way mark the miracle as a disciple of Jesus, we hope you’ll take time to enjoy this short series of personal devotionals as a special seasonal gift from us to you. Prepared by our own Sharon Gauthier — elder’s wife, women’s minister in the Chicago church of Christ (https://www.chicagochurch.org) —we pray that these devotionals enhance your Easter week with lasting joy in Christ, whatever you may be facing, wherever you are in the world.  

In Remembrance of Friendship

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 26:36-38, John 17

It always inspires me when I read how Jesus called His disciples to Himself when He was at one of the most emotionally painful moments of His life (Matthew 26:36-38), because it shows that Jesus needed friendship just like me or you.  He wanted His friends nearby while He felt the weight of the responsibility that lay before Him.  Moreover, He wanted to be near His Father as He prayed through His intense feelings about the sacrifice He would soon make for our sin.

I believe our brains are wired, by God, to need relationships.  From the moment of our birth (and even before, if you want to be technical), we need others.  It is said that the eyesight of newborn babies is set so that their optimal distance of vision allows them to see the face of their mother as they are nursing.  Without another person—whether it be a parent, guardian or kind stranger—a baby would not survive.  This innate yearning for companionship and others continues through childhood and beyond.

Even loners need people.  God has designed us that way.  By nature, I am an introvert.  I’m energized by times that I spend alone in quiet thought.  Yet, without fail, when I am faced with sorrow or pain or hurt, I want at least one person to share in that time with me.  Likewise, when I’m brimming with good news or an exciting story, I can’t wait to find someone to tell.

In John 17, we read that in the hours before Jesus’ crucifixion, He focused on relationships.  He first focused on His relationship with the Father.  Then He prayed fervently for His closest friends, describing His relationship with them.  Finally, and touchingly, He prayed for us.  He prayed for all believers through the end of time, that we may be “brought to complete unity.”

Yet, as we read Jesus’ prayer in John 17, we are reminded that unity is not easy.  Relationships are not easy.  They take work.  They take prayer.  They take forgiving and asking for forgiveness.  They require sharing time together, sharing experiences together, and (my favorite) sharing meals togethers.

When I was growing up, I saw church as a place where you went on Sundays and Wednesdays.  I saw the other church members as one-day-a-week friends.  There were kids I would be in Bible class with on Sundays, yet we would rarely speak to each other at school during the week.  As a teenager and young adult, I viewed my relationship with God as a private club.  It was just me and God, with everyone else locked out.  I had no idea how to talk about my deepest feelings on spiritual topics.  If someone dared try to start a conversation about God or--heaven forbid--my relationship with God, I would politely keep it shallow.  Surely it was no one’s business.  They were not welcome in my exclusive “God and me” club.

But over time the “God and me” club got very lonely.  I found myself entangled in sin and temptations that I didn’t know how to overcome.  I didn’t always know what scriptures would help me with issues of doubt or faithlessness.  Conversely, during the times when I felt like I was doing well spiritually, I didn’t have anyone with whom I could share my convictions or anyone who could help me grow even stronger.

Praise God that He sent women into my life who could help me break through these walls of isolation and, instead, weave strong cords of friendship, partnership, and spiritual connection.  Even now I am sometimes tempted with rebuilding those imposing walls of isolation, especially during the days of lockdowns during the pandemic.  It takes effort to pick up the phone and call a sister in Christ.  It takes even more of an effort to set up a time to share tea or a meal.  However, if my Lord Jesus spent His last hours praying about relationships, how much more can I spend my time relishing in the blessings of the beautiful church community that was built through His blood!

Questions for Reflection:

1. Reflect on friendships you have had in the church community.  How have spiritual friendships helped you as a Christian?

2. Sometimes our friendships don’t pan out like we would hope (consider Jesus and Judas Iscariot).  What has helped you to navigate difficult or hurtful relationships?  Is there anyone that you need to forgive or anyone you need to ask for forgiveness?

3. What are some ways that you have been able to build or strengthen your relationships in the church?  Are there any relationships you feel like you need to work on now?