You’d think I would have many, many spiritual friends. Just living for as long as I have ought to do it, plus my resume as church member, divinity student, teacher, family member, and friend. Sometimes I attribute this silence of faith to living in New England where we don’t talk easily or often about our faith. Nevertheless, I believe that spiritual companions are hard to come by regardless of the situation. I’m referring to is someone with whom I can discuss faith and such topics as prayer, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, eternity and how they effect our everyday lives. You’d think that enough trust to discuss such matters would need time to develop, but not necessarily. Trust often arise soon, or almost immediately, after meeting someone for the first time. This is God’s grace
I notice that the relationships I have with my faith friends, with a few exceptions, have a common denominator. We are only moderately, never excessively, involved in each other’s personal lives. We are spiritually close, but socially there is a distance which enables us to speak God’s truth freely to each other without judgment or critique.
The other day I visited one of these spiritual friends. She is 97 years old, in a wheelchair, and one of the most alert people I know. She was brought up in the Episcopal church, and although hasn’t participated in a church community for years, God’s presence in her life is strong. We talk about whatever is on our mind about faith--our fears and doubts, and well as grace and certainty. And we pray together.
I notice that the relationships I have with my faith friends, with a few exceptions, have a common denominator. We are only moderately, never excessively, involved in each other’s personal lives. We are spiritually close, but socially there is a distance which enables us to speak God’s truth freely to each other without judgment or critique.
The other day I visited one of these spiritual friends. She is 97 years old, in a wheelchair, and one of the most alert people I know. She was brought up in the Episcopal church, and although hasn’t participated in a church community for years, God’s presence in her life is strong. We talk about whatever is on our mind about faith--our fears and doubts, and well as grace and certainty. And we pray together.
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