麻豆社

In the news yesterday we heard that the UK's furlough scheme has started to wind down and the furlough measures will be phased out by the end of September. While not everyone鈥檚 pandemic story is the same, for many who have been furloughed, the return to work will mean a return to the busyness of life and the treadmill, where ones time is not one鈥檚 own anymore. Those opportunity to reconnect with friends and build relationships will be squeezed into those precious times outside of work and our other existing commitments.

There are transition points in life when it can be easier to make friends, like university, or harder to make friends, the older we get, and to find time with them. The pandemic and lockdown affected our friendships, we turned to social media and online platforms in an attempt to address our fundamental need of one another. We played games online, joined groups and made phone calls. The transition out of Lockdown will affect our friendships too, and many of us will have seen people struggling.

I made friends with my neighbour on the next street during lockdown, we passed one another on our walks for months and finally started talking, sometimes up to 4 times a week and I鈥檝e often wondered whether we will remain friends. Our meetings have already reduced dramatically since restrictions have eased and our lives have become busier as our routines have changed. But I鈥檝e missed those encounters, where there is time to be recognised and known.

The Christian writer CS Lewis said 鈥淔riendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 鈥榃hat! You too? I thought I was the only one.鈥� Friendship is something we can take for granted, forgetting that it takes a long time to grow an old friend. But if the saying 鈥榶ou can count your best friends on one hand鈥� is true that doesn鈥檛 take away from the fact that friendship starts somewhere and different types of friendships are important too; the long-term friends where you pick up where you left off, or the casual friendships formed with your neighbour; it is an individual鈥檚 demonstration of our love for one another.

Peter says in his letter to the disciples 鈥楢bove all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God鈥檚 grace in its various forms鈥�.

As furlough eases and we slowly return to the business of life, it might be worth investing in our friendships during what will be for many a difficult time, and that might just mean picking up the phone to someone you鈥檝e been meaning to talk to.

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