| Week-Day Religion |
Chapter 26 |
Page 3 |
Then, in choosing friends, we should take those only with whom we can hope to walk beyond death. Why should we form close and tender attachments here to be severed for ever at death? Why should we be unequally yoked with unbelievers? Friendship reaches its highest, truest meaning only when it knits two lives together at every point–not in the lower nature alone, but in the higher as well, and with reference to the eternal future. We should seek for our close friends, therefore, only those who are God’s children. Then the web which we weave in our love years shall never be rent or torn.
Having chosen a few such friends, we should never let them go out of our lives if we can by any possibility retain them. Friendship is too rare and sacred a treasure lightly to be thrown away. And yet many people are not careful to retain their friends. Some lose them through inattention, failing to maintain those little amenities, courtesies and kindnesses which cost so little, and yet are hooks of steel t grapple and hold our friends. Some drop old friends for new ones. Some take offence easily at imagined slights or neglects, and ruthlessly cut the most sacred ties. Some become impatient of little faults, and discard even truest friendships.
Some are incapable of any deep or permanent affection, and fly from friendship to friendship like restless birds form bough to bough, making a nest for their hearts in none. Then beautiful friendships are often destroyed, not by any sharp, sudden quarrel, but by slowly and imperceptibly drifting apart until there is a great chasm between two lives that once were woven sacredly together.
There are a great many ways of losing friends. But when we have once taken true souls into the grasp of our hearts, we should cherish them as rarest jewels. There is no wealth in the world like a noble friendship, and nothing should induce us to sacrifice such a treasure. If slights are given, let them be overlooked. If misunderstandings arise, let them quickly be set right. Let not pride or fiery temper or cold selfishness disdainfully toss away a friendship for any trivial cause. It is not hard to lose a friend, but the loss is utterly irreparable.
Let it never be overlooked that we as friends must stand ready to be and to do all that we expect our friends to be and to do. If we set a high standard for them, that standard must be ours also. It will not do to give pebbles and ask diamonds in return.
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