YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND In his book Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam - TopicsExpress

YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND In his book Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam identifies what he believes is the number one need in America today. He calls loneliness the new American epidemic. Never in the history of the world have we had more options for staying connected technologically, yet so many still struggle to be connected relationally. Jonathan and David serve as a great example of the kind of friendship God desires us to have. When Jonathan and David met, they came from different sides of the tracks and had very little in common. David was a poor shepherd; Jonathan was a prince. Yet in spite of their differences, they became fast friends: “There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David” (1 Samuel 18:1 NLT). Jonathan was intentional in his pursuit of friendship with David. “And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt” (1 Samuel 18:3–4 NLT). You don’t see this kind of openness very often, especially between men. Jonathan openly declared his commitment to friendship with David. And to seal that friendship, Jonathan gave David the very clothes off his back. To experience authentic community requires initiative. Passivity is the enemy of deep friendship. If friendship is important to you, then get after it. Be proactive. Don’t sit by the phone waiting for it to ring. Be persistent. Pursue relationship and don’t give up. One of the major barriers to authentic community is our pace of life. The result is that we start skimming relationally. John Ortberg says, “We try to create first-century community on a twenty-first-century timetable . . . and it doesn’t work.” There are no shortcuts to authentic community. You can’t go deep in a hurry. You can’t listen in a hurry. You can’t walk through a crisis in a hurry. You can’t savor life in a hurry. If you think you can fit a real relationship in around the edges of an already packed schedule, think again! You can’t go deep with everybody, but you can with a few. WHAT ABOUT YOU? Maybe you need to get more intentional about relationship and even declare your commitment to go deep with a handful of friends. Today’s Takeaway You will never drift into authentic community.