Build a Relation with the Flawless

Painting by Sr. Mary Grace Thul, OP

We all need a good friend, someone we can pour out our souls without fear of criticism or rebuttal. We all appreciate a love that does not judge us, but helps us deal with the situations of life as they arise. Yet, we will never find the "perfect" friend, one who will always understand, always encourage, and never fail us. Only the Divine can fill that role.

The Jerusalem Community Rule of Life states: Let your soul be filled day and night with this loving presence of the Lord, and you will live. Strong in the joy of this divinity within you and the power of his love, you will never falter.'

The message here is  not "don't trust your friends" but "no matter how good your friends, you still need the enduring love of the Divine." Face it. We all have moments when we feel let down or even betrayed by our closest allies. We must not then turn from them, but turn to the Divine who will help us through rough waters. We cannot expect a human to perform flawlessly. We need to nurture our friendships, to work to make  them grow, to understand the rough times and forgive the misunderstandings. We can only do that if we already have a close relationship with someone flawless, the Divine, who helps us through storms and disappointments.

If we build that relationship within, we will better understand the relationships without. We will not expect others to be the ONE, and we will not judge them on one or two actions that they eventually regret. And strange enough, we will become a better friend ourselves.