Friendship

John Schroeder, in response to a description of the "types of friends a pastor needs," reflects on the actual meaning of friendship for a Christian:

Do we really want to have people in our lives to fill roles? What happens when those people change and they no longer fulfill those roles? Are they no longer our friends? And if they are not, what kind of love have we really given them?

Phil 2:3 - Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;

Seems to me that nothing could more assault this admonition from Paul than to categorize our friends into roles and define their worth to us on the basis of those roles.

In the first place, this approach defines friendship on the basis of what it means to me, not what it means to my friend. That is certainly not "regarding the other as more important that yourself." Secondly, it removes from the other the ability to be who they are in relationship to you.

Seems to me that the Christian idea of relationship would start by accepting another person in whatever place they are at face value. ....

Blogotional: Stereotyping and Manipulating