My Friends
by Hannah Hanzel
I have many kinds of people I call my friends. They’re all different, and here’s why.
Some of my friends have a real devoted love for their spouses. Some of them are married to a person of the same gender, and some are married to a person of the opposite gender.
Some felt overjoyed and victorious at the end of Roe vs. Wade, while others felt attacked, afraid and vulnerable.
Some of my friends wept at the election of 2020, wishing for a different result, while other friends celebrated in the streets.
Some of my friends are dedicated worshippers. Some of them are bowing to an idol elevated on a shelf in their living room, while other friends are praying in secret with their house church.
Some of my friends are grieving a recent family member’s suicide, while other friends are celebrating the remission of cancer.
Some of my friends are finding sweet relief from mental health struggles by using drugs, while some friends are seeking therapy instead.
Some of my friends are celebrating a long-awaited pregnancy, while some friends don’t want the child they had.
Some of my friends are trying dating apps, hoping to find their person, while some friends are wishing they hadn’t gotten married at all.
Some of my friends love their jobs, some don’t.
Some of my friends are selling everything they have and are moving to a foreign country to share the Gospel, and some are putting down deep, Gospel-centered roots where they are.
Some of my friends love their parents and visit them frequently, while some of my friends lost a parent or are estranged from them.
Some of my friends live in big cities, while other friends are two hours from the nearest grocery store.
Some of my friends feel proud of their skin color, while others feel shamed because of it.
Some of my friends are generously wealthy, while others are lucky to have two meals a day.
I love all my friends. I believe Jesus does too.
At the end of the day, I can know what I believe and live in the tension of loving those with whom I disagree or to whom I cannot relate. Who are your friends? How do you discuss things you disagree? How do you exemplify Christ to them?
Passages to consider:
Philippians 2:5-8, Matthew 5:44, 2 Corinthians 1:24, 1 Peter 3:15, Galatians 5:1, 1 Cor. 9:20-22, 1 Peter 4:8-9, Leviticus 19:33-34, and Luke 14:7-11.
Author Bio
Hammocks, hot tubs, Spotify, close friends, campfires, poetic journal entries, and well--selected fonts are all contributions to Hannah Hanzel’s ideal day. She can be found pining over these in her lamp-lit office at Council Road Baptist Church, serving as the Creative Director. She enjoys conversations that include dad jokes, travel plans, theology, art and struggles with faith. Feel free to reach out at hannahhanzel@yahoo.com.