“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” (NLT) -Proverbs 27:17
“Not acquaintances, Mr. Kemper, friends. Dear friends from days gone by. My late husband Ephraim Levi believed in life and any place you could find it — cafes, ballrooms, yes even theatres!” -Dolly Levi, Hello, Dolly!
There is an old saying that goes if you can count on one hand the number of true friends you have in your life, then you are a lucky person. Everyone understands the importance of faithful friends. No one quite like a friend can provide a listening ear and a gentle rebuke. Faithfulness in relationship is modeled in the very nature of God Himself. As the Trinity—Father, Son, and Spirit—God has always existed in relationship. The Godhead, three in one, reveals to us the importance of faithfulness in our own lives.
There are numerous examples of faithful friendship in Hello, Dolly! For example, Cornelius and Barnaby are more than a decade apart in age, yet they are loyal friends. As the older friend of the pair, Cornelius prods and pushes Barnaby to take advantage of life. When planning his adventure to New York City, Cornelius doesn’t forget his pal Barnaby, and Cornelius even knows how to excite Barnaby with the promise of seeing the stuffed whale. The beauty of their friendship plays out against the background of adventure and love that represents the beauty of this classic musical.
Another example of faithful friendship comes through the relationship between Irene and Minnie. Again, their friendship features Irene as the older and more experienced friend who seeks to bring Minnie along in the chase of Cornelius and Barnaby. Surely, Irene could have found a less noisy assistant for the hat shop, but Irene’s patience with the younger and naïve Minnie demonstrates the power of faithful friendship. Minnie looks to Irene for advice on the nature of love and romance, and Irene proves a dedicated mentor.
Finally, there is the example of Dolly’s faithfulness to her late husband, Ephraim. Throughout the musical, Dolly continues to speak to Ephraim despite the number of years since he has died. Dolly’s faithfulness prompts her to seek Ephraim’s approval to rejoin humanity and marry Horace. She wants to know that her plans have Ephriam’s nod so that she can truly move on from her place of mourning and doubt. What a beautiful picture of the profound friendship that can happen through marriage.
Again, we find an example of faithfulness toward others in the model of Jesus. He gathers around Him twelve ordinary men with a whole host of flaws and foibles. How frequently the disciples must have tried Jesus’ patience, yet He remains faithful to them despite their constant need. Jesus is a wonderful example of the power of a faithful friend who will never leave or betray us.
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