Colossians 4:10-18

"That's What Friends are For" - Colossians 4:10-18

"If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together," is a quote that I hear from time to time. I like it. No one seems to agree on the origins, but it resonates nonetheless.

However, it seems there are a lot of people going alone and going nowhere these days. Loneliness and isolation are huge issues for people. Roughly 4 out of 10 people cannot identify a best friend. People have hundreds or thousands of "Facebook friends", but how many of those people will be there for you in a time of need? How many pitch in when you need help. Facebook friendship requires little more than "liking" something that someone posts and maybe commenting as well. But you could be hundreds of miles away and really know little about your "friend".

I am sure there are some positive things that come from those interchanges, but they are no substitute for living, breathing, people that you can call friends. People to celebrate the joys and share the struggles. People who you know will be with you when the chips are down.

As we come to the close of the letter, we read about real people and real relationships in a real world where Paul writes from a real prison. Chained with him is a guy named Aristarchus. And then there is Mark....what a history he and Paul have! And Demas.....that is a heartbreaker.

What do these people tell us about life and friendship? Plenty. To know the specifics, you will have to....

....View and See!

Steve