Biblical Friendship, Part 1: Introduction
Introduction We live in a world that idolizes friendship. Friends are the subject (and title) of entire television series in the sitcom genre, the main participants in holiday traditions like “Friendsgiving” and the “International Day of Friendship,” the subject of new apps, and increasingly valued over other relationships with the slogan “friends are forever.” And yet, many would say that the quality of friendships in our world today is poorer than ever before. Friendship has become the new goal for relationships, whether of spouses, siblings, or parents with their children; yet, in 2021 only 16% of Americans stated they go to a friend first before anyone else, down from 26% in 1990.[1] Indeed, while friendship is almost everyone’s goal, many seem flummoxed on how to find true friends. The label “toxic friendship” has become a popular way to refer to one-sided or selfish relationships that “drain our energy and negatively impact our wellbeing.”[2] Social media has led t...