Description

Friendship is a beautiful evidence of the common grace of God toward humanity.  The Scriptures speak of its benefits.  In Ecclesiastes chapter 4, we read how being in community and relationship with others helps us:  our work efforts are multiplied, individuals are helped when they are struggling, and strength is found in the midst of friendships.  The book of Proverbs also speaks of the goodness of friendship.  In Proverbs 27, the advice of a friend is likened to the pleasantness of perfume and incense.  Proverbs 17 tells us that a friend loves at all times, whether good or bad.  In this image, elements of these passages are seen in the crocheters at work, the cord of three strands, the helping hands, and the perfume and incense.  The various flowers are a metaphor for “loving at all times.”  Just as flowers bloom through the various phases of a calendar year, so friendships are an ever-present blessing in our youth, our adulthood, and the last days of our lives.

For a deeper study of Biblical friendship, read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Proverbs 17:17 and 27:9.