Dear friends,
There is much talk these days of loneliness.
The world is said to be suffering from an epidemic of loneliness,
To the point where some governments are creating ministries whose purpose is to try to deal with this problem.
So here we have a reflection or a meditation on the subject of friendship.
So before we begin to consider this question,
Can we take a few moments to just come into the present.
You might like to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths in.
And as you breathe out,
Just express thanks for the people in your life who are your friends.
And express hope for the people in your life who might become your friends.
With the benefit of some of the things that we're going to discuss in this meditation.
So breathing in and breathing out mindfully for just a minute.
The strange thing is that on a planet which has never been more interconnected,
We find loneliness statistics which are troubling to read.
A 2021 survey across 142 countries,
Found that approximately 24% of individuals aged 15 and older,
Reported feeling very or fairly lonely.
In the US,
52% of people experience loneliness,
With young adults aged 18 to 24 being the loneliest age group.
These are worrying statistics,
Especially when you consider that the mortality risk associated with loneliness and social isolation,
Is said to be comparable to well established risk factors such as smoking and obesity.
It is very important that we value and cultivate friendships and connection.
But this is not going to happen unless we each take action.
We can't expect someone to come knocking at our door,
Asking us if we would like to be a friend.
But for each of our sakes,
And for the benefit of society in general,
It is important that we work to create a world where there is much more interconnection and less isolation.
Let's have a one minute pause for reflection now.
During this time you might think of how you can help create a friendlier community in your own area of influence.
Welcome back.
I'd be very interested to hear in the comments,
Your thoughts as to the steps you feel you might take,
To bring more friendliness and connection into the world.
We'll all benefit by hearing what you have to say.
But meanwhile,
Here are some ideas to help set your thinking.
Let each of us reach out to others.
Try to initiate closer connections with neighbours,
With co-workers or acquaintances,
By starting conversations or inviting people to spend time together.
We can all be reluctant to move out of our shells.
Why not overcome reluctance and join a group or a club,
Which will allow you to participate in activities that correspond with your interests,
And let's not confine ourselves to existing interests,
But think of something new that you might like to take up.
Let's see if we can break out of the rut and till some new ground.
As we all know,
Life can get in the way of friendship.
Pressures of work and family can leave people out of touch with friends whom they were closely connected with in earlier years.
Maybe this meditation will encourage you to reconnect with some old friends.
Why not make time to reach out to your friends from the past,
Rekindling relationships that may have faded on both sides,
Due to time or distance or the pressures of day-to-day life.
In our always-connected world,
We can get lost in our screens.
It can be wonderful to make contact with people online,
Especially if they are far away and impossible to meet in person.
Many of us are in the happy position of having friends online whom we have never actually met in person.
But why not consider the idea of limiting social contact and prioritising and making time for face-to-face interactions.
It is possible to share a virtual cup of coffee on Zoom.
But how much better to meet face-to-face where there is that possibility?
Remember too that friendships can come about through volunteering in the community.
Volunteering offers opportunities to meet people who share a common interest,
As you all contribute your time and energy to a worthwhile cause.
Friendships require work,
Even though friendships are enjoyable.
In order to have a friend,
A real friend,
Each of us has to be a real friend to the other person.
And we must be grateful for the friendships which we have already,
And always remember to make time for the people in our lives.
Let's have another pause for reflection now.
And after this pause,
I will bring this meditation to an end by sharing some quotes on the subject of friendship.
William Shakespeare tells us,
A friend is one that knows you as you are,
Understands where you have been,
Accepts what you have become,
And still gently allows you to grow.
And from St Thomas Aquinas,
We have these words,
There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.
I'm sure you will have come across On Friendship by Khalil Gibran.
And a youth said,
Speak to us of friendship.
And he answered,
Saying,
Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your farsight.
For you come to him with your hunger and you seek him for peace.
When your friend speaks his mind,
You fear not the nay in your own mind,
Nor do you withhold the ay.
And when he is silent,
Your heart ceases not to listen to his heart.
For without words in friendship,
All thoughts,
All desires,
All expectations are born and shared with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend,
You grieve not.
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence,
As the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love,
But a net cast forth,
And only the unprofitable is caught.
And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide,
Let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need,
But not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship,
Let there be laughter and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things,
The heart finds its morning and is refreshed.
On Friendship by Khalil Gibran I hope you found some benefit in this meditation.
Don't forget to share your own thoughts in the comments so that other listeners can be brought into this same conversation.
Let's conclude with a short prayer.
May you be blessed with friends who walk beside you in times of joy and sorrow.
Friends who speak truth to you with kindness and listen to you with an open heart.
May you in turn be a friend and a blessing.
A friend who embodies patience,
Compassion and kindness.
A friend who speaks to you of the glass half full.
A friend who uplifts you with words of encouragement.
A friend who reaches out to catch you if you stumble or fall.
Namaste
