Everybody wants to feel connected. We seek it on the playground, gym, Sunday school class, fraternal organizations and more.
There is the need to hear others and be heard. Shake hands and have your hand shook. Embrace and be embraced, love and be loved.

Preachers are the loneliest people. They preach to others, offer consoling words and compassion and run all the time to meetings and functions. They have lots of surface conversations but rarely do they have anybody they can talk to on a real level.

I heard the story about the three preachers who got together for fellowship and one became real with the other two and said, "I have a smoking problem." The second preacher noded his head listening intently and then said, I have a speeding problem. I drive 80 - 90 all the time. The third one nodded and then said "I have to get out of here because I have a gossip problem and I can't wait to tell everybody about you two!" Herein lies the problem, we fear being real. Trust is at the foundation of transparency and it takes a lot of life to develop trust.

Because of this we give up on close friends and relationships with a sigh of "It's not worth it."

Here are some tips:
1. Want friends? Be friendly. You make the call or write the email.
2. Embrace those who embrace you. Some people will blow you off, but not everybody.
3. Be flexible and expand your circles. Friendships are not limited to race, denomination or political party.

The ground at the front of the cross is level. We were all there represented by our sins, junk and human inadequacies.

"But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him". 1 Corinthians 8.6