The Best of Friends

I woke up this morning and a specific scene from a specific movie came to mind. I got on the computer, flipped to Youtube and saw a piece of my childhood unravel before my eyes. Here are the lyrics and if you can guess the name of the movie, then kudos to you!

When you're the best of friends
Having so much fun together
You're not even aware, you're such a funny pair
You're the best of friends

Life's a happy game
You could clown around forever
Neither one of you sees, your natural boundaries
Life's one happy game

If only the world wouldn't get in the way
If only people would just let you play
They say you're both being fools
You're breaking all the rules
They can't understand, the magic of your wonderland
Hu-hu-hu

When you're the best of friends
Sharing all that you discover
When that moment has past, will that friendship last?
Who can say? There's a way!
Oh I hope... I hope it never ends
'Cause you're the best of friends

It's funny because it made me think about the book I just finished reading (Mere Christianity Great Book). Lewis describes a situation in which at times we don't really feel like being a certain way, say happy. At that moment, we realize that if we can put on an attitude that suggests that we were happy to begin with, we start to actually feel happy. We put on a mask to hide ourselves, pretending that we are someone else and with time, that mask starts to mesh with our actual face until all anyone one can see is that mask. That really blew me away. I can act a certain way, but that mask will hide my flesh and show Christ to the world. Of course I can't do it myself, I need Christ to give me that mask, to give me the Fruit of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control.

How did this song make me think about this mask? Well for starters, the song made me think of best friends as the title suggests. When you see best friends, don't you see two people who talk alike, dress alike, do everything together and can never go anywhere without the other? I have seen a handful of people whom I just described and it saddens me that I don't project this relationship with Jesus everyday. The One who paid my debt; the One who gave me life; the One who showed me Love; the One who is for me seems to be the one who always stays at a close distant because I don't want Him to walk beside me. I absolutely love walking next to people because it feels as though they have accepted me and I actually belong. How much more does Christ love it when I don't push Him away to a close distance. How much more does Christ love it when I ask Him to walk beside me. How much more does Christ love it when I want the whole world to see us together! Now, going back to the lyrics, I read it and started thinking about segregation. I'm pretty sure there were more than plenty of children who made friends across their "natural boundaries" a.k.a. color of their skin. However, they didn't care! They loved one another because whenever they were around each other, they had the most fun ever! They are "not even aware, [they're] such a funny pair". I sometimes think that Jesus and I are a funny pair. The God of the universe, the One who made the heavens and the earth, the one who was, is and is to come, the alpha and omega, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords...wants to be my friend? How silly is that! Someone perfect wants to be friends with me! Because I have seen friendships in which the pair are nearly one, I can't even imagine why Jesus would want to be my friend because we're nothing alike. However, as much as we are different, He wants to make me the same as Him. He wants to spend much time with me so that I can be like Him. Our natural boundaries are quite clear: Perfect and imperfect. Christ doesn't see my imperfection though, He sees Himself in me. Christ puts His mask on my face and allows time for it to sink into my skin. So I say to the world that you can't get in our way! We are breaking your so called "rules"! "You don't understand, the magic of [our] wonderland"!

I invite you to break away from the world and get to know the Awesome Power that is Christ. Whether you like it or not, whether you notice or not, He is following you wherever you go wanting to be your best friend and walk along side you. Do you wonder whether or not His friendship will last? Don't worry, it will last for eternity "'cause you're the best of friends".

Pabs