Huna Article
A Friendly Kind of Love by Serge Kahili King
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
This statement of Jesus from John 15 has become so familiar that it's easy to miss what's really being said.
In context it is saying that there is no greater kind of love than friendship. Not brotherly, or sisterly,
or parental or devotional or altruistic love. Friendship tops them all. The rest of the chapter contains
equally important and related statements that are seldom quoted. Here's the whole thing:
This is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you. Greater
love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are
my friends ... Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not
what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have
heard of my father I have made known unto you.
This is a relationship of equals, the highest form of love that Jesus can offer
his disciples. It is also worth noting that at other times when Jesus greets
someone, even Judas, it is as "Friend." Never as Brother or Sister, for
instance. As a matter of fact, Proverbs 17:17 says "A friend loveth at all
times, and a brother is born for adversity." Of course, if a brother is also a
friend, that changes everything.
A couple of other things worth noting from the Bible: Exodus 33:11 says "And
the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend."
And in the Book of James it says that Abraham was called the "Friend of God."
Obviously this term was used on purpose to convey a very high kind of mutual
love.
In modern times a psychological study of happiness showed that it was mostly
attained by people with at least one close relationship and a circle of
supporting friends. An apparent anomaly in the study was that soap opera buffs
tended to rank higher in happiness than non-buffs, and it has been suggested
that the buffs think of the actors as their friends. The friends don't have to
be people, either. Other studies show that people with pets as friends tend to
be not only happier, but healthier, too.
Is there a difference between friendship and love? Apparently not. In Middle
English the word "friend" means "lover," and it stems from a word in Old Gothic
meaning "to love." If anything, it implies a deeper kind of love, one that goes
beyond obligation.
Hawaiians had many terms for "friend" that signified varying degrees and types
of friendship.
Hoaloha
(beloved companion), for example, is a general term for friend.
Makamaka
(face to face) is a friend with whom you share freely.
Aikane
(probably "dependable") is a close, personal friend of the same sex.
Pilialoha
(sticky love) is a romantic friend. And here's a great one:
'au ko'i
(axe handle), a trusted friend.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said "The only way to have a friend is to be one." But many
people have trouble making friends because they don't know how to be one. So
here is a set of guidelines to help you remember:
- F = Freedom (give up control)
- R = Respect (respect your differences)
- I = Interest (take an interest in your friend's interests)
- E = Equality (treat your friend like an equal)
- N = Nurture (nurture your friend's best qualities)
- D = Devotion (be loyal and helpful whenever, wherever, and for as long as you can)
The Hawaiians made such an art of this that I'll end with one of their proverbs
describing a good friendship:
Pili kau, pili ho'oilo
Together in the dry season, together in the wet season
Me ke aloha pumehana i ko'u kini hoaloha - with warm regards to my many
friends.
Copyright - Aloha International 2005
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