Eternal friendship
Friendship is one of the joys of life. Like anything real, real friendship is eternal. I actually believe our relationship with every individual is a relationship of eternal friendship. There's a unique way that each of us relates that is forever beautiful.
It's rare to come across a great song about friendship. Even more rare is finding a song about pals who unite in a Christian love. This Baptist/Methodist hymn hits the mark for me. Below is a modern version of it by Sara Groves.
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Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
Before our Father’s throne
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one
Our comforts and our cares.
We share each other’s woes,
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.
When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.
This glorious hope revives
Our courage by the way;
While each in expectation lives,
And longs to see the day.
From sorrow, toil and pain,
And sin, we shall be free,
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.
Words: John Fawcett, Hymns Adapted to the Circumstance of Public Worship (Leeds, England: 1782). Music: Dennis, Hans G. Nägeli (1773-1836); arranged by Lowell Mason in The Psaltery, 1845 (MIDI, score).
