Proverbs 14:20

"The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends"

Some proverbs seem to just be explanations of the way the world works, and point us towards why its wrong. Looking at this in a purely North American viewpoint, many of us can understand it readily. In many of us there is a fear to get involved with people that will be "too needy". Whether it is emotionally, socially, or financially, no one wants a friend that only "takes and takes without giving".

I've heard these sorts of sayings since I was a kid. Maybe its because we think that friends should be able to take care of themselves and our relationships will only be for mutual emotional support, and that helping them in more substantial ways, such as with finances, is something that will almost never happen.

This kind of friendship is not true friendship. It is a deep aquaintanceship. Only being friends with those that are in our same socio-economic group, with those that will never truly need our help is not real friendship.

Yes, friendship is meant to be a two-way street, but we have to be willing to get our hands dirty sometime if we want to be part of making the world a better place.

Thanks for reading,

AC