麻豆约拍

A reflection and prayer to start the day with Reverend Catherine De Souza, Senior Leader of City Church in Cardiff.

Good morning.

There have been many words of affection spoken about the Queen over these last days, some of the most touching have been from people who knew her personally 鈥� those that she could call friends. No doubt the new King will lean on his close friends as he begins his reign. I remember some years ago when I learnt a valuable lesson about friendship. I had unfortunately had my phone stolen as it had been snatched out of my hand by someone when I took it out of my bag to send a message. When I got home after the incident, I told my then housemate about what had happened. After she had listened to me she responded by asking, 鈥渉ow much is a replacement phone going to cost us?鈥� She didn鈥檛 ask me how much a replacement would cost me, but instead how much it would cost us. And in that one simple word she demonstrated one of the outstanding marks of true friendship 鈥� the willingness to lighten the load for someone else.

There鈥檚 a wonderful example of friendship in the Bible between a grieving woman Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth. In the darkest point in Naomi鈥檚 life Ruth speaks powerful words of commitment to Naomi, she says, 鈥淲here you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.鈥� In her pursuit of connection with Naomi and commitment to stick by her, Ruth really does lighten the load for her mother-in-law as she ensures that they are both provided for. The name Ruth actually means 鈥渇riend鈥� in Hebrew, which is very fitting for this significant example of such a relationship.

Lord, thank you that you created us to be in relationship with you and with each other and thank you for the gift of friendship. Please help us to be a good friend to someone else and Holy Spirit would you give us the discernment to know how to lighten their load where they might need support. Amen.