What a friend

One of the churches of which I am Minister has recently started a monthly “Messy Church.”  Messy Church is aimed at families which perhaps wouldn’t generally attend traditional church.  Typically it will include craft and other activities round a theme, a short devotional spot, and food (always an attraction!)  The theme of this month’s Messy Church was “Jesus – our friend”.  I was asked to give a short talk as part of the devotional spot, so I told the story of Joseph Scriven.

Joseph Scriven was born Ireland in 1819.  As a young man, he fell in love and was engaged to be married. Tragedy struck, however, when his fiancé was drowned on the evening before their wedding.  At the age of 25, Scriven emigrated to Canada, where he taught and tutored to make his living.

In due course he again fell in love and became engaged to a young lady called Eliza Roche.  But once again he was enveloped in tragedy, as shortly before the couple were due to marry, Eliza became ill with pneumonia and died. It must have been a terrible time for Joseph.

He devoted the rest of his life to helping people in need.  Scriven sought to live out the teachings of Jesus; and was always ready, whenever possible, to give or lend to anyone who asked.  He had a genuine compassion for all who were less fortunate than himself.

In 1855, Joseph learned that his elderly mother, back in Ireland, was very ill.  He wrote a poem to comfort her.  Some time later, Joseph himself became ill.  A friend came to visit him, noticed a manuscript copy of the poem, and declared that it ought to be made more widely known.  In due course the poem became one of our most well-known hymns: “What a friend we have in Jesus.”  Despite everything which Joseph Scriven faced in his life, and the terrible tragedies which he encountered, he was still able to speak so powerfully of the ever-present friendship of Jesus.

On a similar vein, I read this week of a group of Palestinian Christians seeking to support Iraqi Christian refugees in Jordan who have fled persecution in Iraq.  The report included this insight: “We were deeply moved to hear that even after everything they lost; even after they were forced to leave their homes and their lands, and went through the most difficult living conditions, they continued to believe that without our Lord Jesus Christ, there is no freedom or joy. They continued to praise the Lord. It was so encouraging to see them blessed by God with joy in their hearts.”  These Iraqi Christians, despite all they have suffered, still know, like Joseph Scriven knew, the wonderful friendship of Jesus.

“Friendship isn’t about who you’ve known the longest.  It’s about who came and never left your side.”