Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Horrors of Google

Friends can do some pretty awful things to you.

This morning, as I was pondering just how hurtful those awful things can be, I asked a question of myself. It is usually a pretty normal thing for me to get lost in deep questions like this while doing nothing of importance whatsoever. In this case, I was sitting quite complacent at my kitchen counter eating a bundt cake.
It was very yummy.

The question I asked was this:

. . . . What is a friend, anyways? What truly constitutes friendship?

I then had one of my most original ideas ever.

I SHOULD GOOGLE IT!

Little did I know, but . . .
My bundt cake was soon to be spoiled.

The page was loading.
The wheel of death was spinning.
(My computer has been really slow lately.)
And then it appeared.
The google search results were in.

At the very top of the page I saw:

Friend: To add someone to a list of contacts associated with a social networking website.

..... No joke. The first thing that popped up on my google homescreen.
Out of 1,470,000,000 results, that is what appeared to be the most popular definition.
In case you don't believe me, here's a screenshot.



If that's not the craziest thing you've ever seen in your life, then my hair ain't blonde and the sky ain't blue.
A friend: Merely another number on your "facebook" contacts list.
Is that really how our modern world sees friendship?

As shocking as this definition might seem to us Christians, who supposedly value friendship *so much more* than the average person, *looks down nose*, that superficial definition is our standard for "friend." Lets not decieve ourselves. All too often, friends are used as fillers for our own insecurities. They're not really "friends" they're "aquantainces." They're another name on a list. Another person we can say we "know."

I think that's really depressing.

I've come to know that there are only a handful of people who can be classified as friends. Who will stick around, regardless of the pain - who will be there for you when your day isn't sunshine and rainbows. Some one who will pick you up after you fall, and then give you a kick in the butt to get you going again. I appreciate those people. :)

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!"
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.

I honestly see my true friends as family. :) I see them as brothers and sisters, and I know that they are, in Christ! They are so much more than just another name.

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

Our culture has somehow molded friendship into a sort of individualized isolationism. We can still be "friends" but we don't have to be involved in each others lives. Well, that's just sad. Treasure your friends, love them, know that they are part of your family.

Ultimately, as with everything, our love for our friends must mirror Christ's love for his friends. Isn't it interesting that when Judas betrayed Christ, Jesus responded in love:
"friend, do what you have come to do."
~Matthew 26:50



Christ had crazy love for us! Love that demanded a cross. And he did this because we are his friends.

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."
John 15:12-15



~ LL

A big shout out by the way to some of the people in my own life who have been truly great friends.. Ya'll know who you are :) I am really blessed to have you in my life! What a great group! Thank you for everything.




5 comments:

Amanda Lunsford said...

This so true. Friends are so superficial and transient, sadly. :/ But I'm so. so. so. inexpressibly grateful to have a wise, loving, forever&ever friend like you. :) I love you, Lauren Lee. <3<3

Johanna said...

Thanks for such a sweet post Lauren, that is sad the the world thinks of friends merely as another name added to there FB.....

I am blessed to be able to think of You, as not only a true friend, but a sister in Jesus. I thank the Lord for intertwining our lives Lauren. Your friendship to me is a gift... and a treasured one!

*hugs*
~Johanna~

Sarah Holman said...

It is sad but it is something that we can change, if we are willing to take the time. If all of us would spend an hour or two every week really talking to people (not texting, e-mailing, or chatting) maybe we could change the definition

Caroline said...

This is a great post, Lolo. :D I posted about friendship a while back and I just think about it a lot. It's so sad to me that friends are no longer true most of the time, anymore.
I love you, I love your mind, I love your heart, and I love that you popped into my life at just the right time and are now my sister. :D <3

Caroline L. said...

This is a wonderful post.... Thank you, Lauren. =]

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