In browsing around blogdom on Sunday morning, I was greeted by a recurring theme… friendship.

Scot McKnight announced an upcoming series working through a book on the subject, and Hamo also reflects on some friendships around him. At the same time, my own private wayback machine creeps in with an entry from one year ago that has to do with the Fruit of the Spirit and the quality of one’s relationships.

The wife had a birthday a short while ago, and we spent it with friends. It’ll be my turn coming up shortly too, and the notion of celebrating came down, for both of us, to simply wanting no fuss, something quiet, with just a few friends. Do a survey… turns out most of us have a lot of acquaintances, a number of friends, and a very select small number of deep friends. My wife and I have been blessed with some good friends, ones which seem to posess a singular but highly desirable characteristic… blindness. And just enough of it to remain friends with us.

I remember the post from last year, and the observation that the quality of one’s relationships are the gauge of the fruit of the spirit in one’s life. I think I’m overdrawn… thanks be to God.