Fr. Don's Daily Reflection
In the story of Jonathan and David (I and II Samuel), the Bible touches on the topic of friendship, even strong affection between people of the same sex. Though friendship is celebrated occasionally in the Bible it doesn't get the prominence we assign to it. But, as so often, these famous stories suggest much that is helpful to us, more effectively than some philosophical treatise might do. The backdrop for the friendship of Jonathan and David is their relationship to Jonathan's father, Saul. The latter resents David's popularity and sees him as a rival. To persist in his friendship with Jonathan, David had to put up with his friend's at times murderous father. Undoubtedly each had to be patient with faults in the other, as well as in the relatives. Perhaps that harp with which David soothed Saul got on Jonathan's nerves.
If we are going to preserve and develop a friendship we inevitably have to put up with less than ideal traits in the other. Not to be willing to do this leads us to a friendless place where we are alone in what we consider our own perfection. Friendship and love require a willingness to persist in affection and intimacy even though every feature of the relationship may not be ideal. Similarly, for sure, the other must forgive inanities or odd, even repellent, habits in us. Friendship is one aspect, one type, of the love Christ teaches. Most of us think it is worth the effort and the forgiveness it requires and these are sustained by our own relationship with Christ.