Friendship,
Vineeth Koshy (Secretary - Commission on Youth National Council of Churches in India) writes

The best expression about friend and friendship can be understood from Aristotle's saying, 'What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies'. In the history of humanity the one relation that has survived the trials and tribulations of all times and has the strength to sustain, is none other but friendship, often running deeper than blood relations. Friendship means a unique blend of affection, loyalty, similar interests, strong attachment, trust and heaps of fun is perhaps what describes the true meaning of friendship.

Science and technology has revolutionized the concept and understanding of friendship itself, thanks to the modern online social networking services like Orkut, Facebook, Friendster, MySpace, Yahoo 360° etc which focuses on building online communities of people. Social networking websites are the latest craze of millions of people irrespective of age, class, gender, region, religion and religion. However the social networks themselves, and those of us who spend a lot of time on online communities, are still struggling and trying hard to understand and define on who is a friend and what is meant by friendship.

The traditional idea of friendship given by Aristotle has three components:

• Friends must enjoy each other's company
• Friends must be useful to one another
• Friends must share a common commitment to the good

In the contemporary society our understanding to friendship is limited in terms of the pleasure and utility, and in a culture dominated by utilitarian individualism, we have a great difficulty of considering friendship in terms of common moral commitments and engagements. Friendship necessarily needs to transcend the ordinary meanings by involving and revolving about the well-being and sustenance of community life and dynamism of creation.

In South Asia Christian Youth Network we always cherish the bond of friendship and strive to build enriching and sustaining friendship with all we journey together in our pilgrimage of faith.

Four friends were deep in thought. They were conversing all through the previous week on the plight of a villager near by. He had a sudden stroke. The paralysis that resulted had its effect on the entire family. As time rolled by it seemed as though the paralysis was affecting all aspects of the life of that family, physical, emotional, economic, spiritual, social, moral, ethical and mental.

They then reflected at the options they had in that moment of pain of the neighbour. They could easily avoid the pathos of the suffering home. They could watch from a distance be it with empathy, sympathy, apathy, inter-pathy or antipathy. They could offer pieces of advice and still keep a safe distance from intervening. They also had the option of being involved in a search that might ultimately restore wholeness not only to the paralyzed man but to his entire household.

After perhaps hours of contemplation they decided that they should do something that would help soothe the pain of the family. They knew that if they were able to reach the person to Jesus the healer perhaps that would be the best bet. Once again they were confronted with different options. What shall we do now? Pray for the family? Pay for the family's trip? Participate in the journey of the family? Or shall we facilitate the journey ourselves? It is easy to wait for someone else to initiate a journey of healing. At this point too they had different options. Maybe after some more deep thought finally they finally decided, why don't we carry him on our own shoulders? The journey should surely have been a cumbersome and difficult one, yet they persisted with it until they reached Capernaum and the home which was by then synonymous with the presence of Jesus there. Lo and Behold, they saw that the household was packed. No one would be willing to make way for someone else. Here again they had different options. Get Disappointed? Quit? Complain? Grumble? Murmur? Or search creative and meaningful ways of facing and overcoming obstacles?

They decided to make a new path for the man to reach the feet of Jesus through the roof of the home. Jesus saw the faith of these men and asked the paralytic to take up his bed and walk. Rejoicing at the wholeness restored unto the man the friends again had options, to stay on and ensure that their names are recorded and heralded in the annals of history or quietly dissolve into oblivion fully aware that their task is done and someone else might need them.

Called to be participants in the liberative process of God this narrative of healing enables us to take a close look at our own spirituality. Often times we are confronted with many people in similar situations of paralysis. It could be the experience of individuals, families, communities, nations or the tortured nature. Given a choice it would be worthwhile to reflect what our choosing would be...