Me? I’m what some people call a ‘loner’. And I usually describe myself as one who can be alone, even in a crowd. Not that I’m not friendly. I just like being alone.
When I started working in banking in 1972, I was kind of forced to do what was very uncomfortable for me – work with, deal with, and converse with people, mostly strangers. Again, it’s not that I’m not friendly. You see, I have a bi-lateral hearing loss, and I don’t always hear exactly what people say. For example, when I was young, someone commented about a relatively new piece of apparatus, called a ‘tv’. I heard ‘tb’, and started talking about the disease my one uncle had. Needless to say, that conversation went south in a hurry.
Well anyway, let’s get to my topic – Christian friendships. Most Christian folks are the greatest! My friends accept people as they are, without trying to ‘convert’ everyone they meet. We joke, and laugh, and really take interest in others. Eating out seems to be a favorite activity. Not only do we enjoy the meals, but usually (it seems) people are just more relaxed and at ease while sitting around the table. Conversations flow without those long ‘dead air’ gaps when folks are trying desparately to think of something to say. Christians also have the luxury of automatically having something in common with other Christians. And if we run out of things to share, we can always discuss God, His Son, His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), His promises, His purposes … the list goes on and on. You see the subjects are endless because we’re talking about God, and He’s timeless, having always been and will always be.
Before I became a Christian, I thought I had friendships. But (in my case) most of them were only ‘moochers’, trying to satisfy their own wants and needs, without ever really giving anything in return. Plus we usually ended up doing things that left me feeling sick (hungover in my case). The only hangover I have now is from experiencing joy in the company of my Christian friends. If you haven’t experienced that kind of pleasure, contact me at garnet@pa.net. We can e-talk about it!