A Friend ... Sticks Closer Than A Brother

Friendship is a precious thing, a gift from God.  And James (among other people) is just that, a gift.

"He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty." - Job 6:14

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." - Proverbs 17:17

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." - Proverbs 18:24

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

"No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." - John 15:15

"Peace be to you.  The friends greet you.  Greet the friends, each by name." - I John 1:15

He's been here for the past few days, attending a conference from his denomination.

While here, we've had some good conversations, mostly about theology.  Oh to have friends nearby with whom I could discuss these themes more regularly...

It's been interesting seeing him struggle with the issues of the days being discussed at the conference. He fears for the future of the church.

And yet, we need not fear, we need only to be faithful:

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." - Matthew 16:18

Prairie Cathedrals

So a few days ago after finishing up at the monastery I crossed the highway to take a look at the cathedral that Muenster is known for.

The drive up to the church gave me a "church in the country feel" - dusty dirt road lined by trees on either side - and the cathedral itself was nice enough from the outside with a basic design (sadly, some of the siding was vinyl), but what really impressed me was the interior.

 

It wasn't as impressive as the cathedral in Gravelbourg (below), but still, it blew me away: a massive structure, "in the middle of nowhere" (the church in Gravelbourg seats 1000 and Gravelbourg itself only has about 1000 inhabitants; the church in Muenster is smaller, as is the town itself), with so much love, care, and effort invested in it.

I know very little about either of these towns or their spiritual histories, but I can't help but think that there must have been a thriving faith community present once.  The frescoes in particular point towards hours and hours of love labour.

And we, subsequent generations, have been left a lasting legacy by those who came before us.

The question that comes to mind is: What kind of a legacy are we leaving behind?