“Flowers are like friends, they bring colour to your world”, says the advertisement.
Flowers bring colour to our world and friends bring colour to our world.
I have many friends who bring colour to my world.
It was not always like this of course, but at the present time there are many nationalities in Kaitaia, where I live.
I meet people and talk to them when I go to the different shops. They are from China, Cambodia, India, Japan, Thailand … I worked for 13 years in Thailand as a missionary.
There are also many tourists coming through Kaitaia from all over the world. They are usually on their way to Cape Reinga. Many visitors to New Zealand are coming from Germany. I am from Germany and I talked to 4 Germans today.
It is good to have friends who colour our world.
But we need friends who do not despise us. We need friends who do not forsake us. They are hard to find.
That’s why Joseph Scriven, who gave us the hymn “What a friend we have in Jesus,” asks the question: “Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?” in the hymn.
He gives also the answer and says: “Take it to the Lord in prayer; in His arms He’ll take and shield thee – thou wilt find a solace there.”
In John 15:14 the Lord Jesus Christ says, “You are my friends, if you do what I command.”
