Friendship

O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15 ESV). The people of Kipnuk, Alaska are very dependent upon one another for their lives. It is a small village of Native Americans. They are Yupik. While we were there I found an incredible bond that had been forged from this interdependency. Seeing this made me focus on friendship and gratitude. I found the following folktale recently and it reminded me of the principle found in today’s reading. The Tortoise and the Eagle very rarely met, for Eagle was at home in the clouds and Tortoise was at home on the ground. One day, though, Eagle heard how generous and kind Tortoise was and decided to pay him a visit. Tortoise was indeed kind and generous, for he invited Eagle in and fed him a most lavish meal. Eagle gorged on the delicious food and ate for several hours. In fact, the meal was so delicious that Eagle came back again and again, eating like a glutton each time. And every time he flew off he would laugh to himself, "Ha ha! I have shared Tortoise's hospitality, but he can never reach my tree to share mine!" Eagle was so greedy that soon the other animals began to speak of it. One day Frog went to Tortoise to offer him his advice. "Tortoise," said Frog, "Eagle is taking advantage of your generosity. Every time he leaves your home he laughs to himself and says, "Ha ha! I have shared Tortoise's hospitality, but he can never reach my tree to share mine!" Then Frog told him what to do. The next time Eagle came to visit, Tortoise said, "Please, brother, let me give you a gourd full of food to take home to your wife and children." Eagle was quick to accept this gift and waited impatiently while Tortoise went off to collect it. In the kitchen, where Eagle couldn't see, Tortoise climbed into the gourd and his wife helped to pile food on top of him. When they were done, he was no longer visible, and the gourd appeared to be overflowing with tasty treats. Eagle took the gourd home and dumped the contents out on his floor. Out rolled Tortoise who said, "Hello, Eagle. I thought it would be a nice change to visit you. I look forward to sharing a meal with you." Eagle was furious and said, "You will be the only meal here, Tortoise!" But as he tried to peck the little creature, he only managed to hurt his own beak on Tortoise's hard shell. "I see what kind of friend you are, Eagle, to threaten to eat me," said Tortoise. "I think it would be best for you to take me home now." "I'll throw you to the ground and watch you smash into little pieces," screamed the bird, and flew off into the sky with Tortoise in his claws. Unfortunately for Eagle, Tortoise had clamped onto his leg with an unbreakable grip and wouldn't let go. Eagle tried to fling him off but couldn't. He shrieked and begged. "Oh please, please, Tortoise! Let go of my leg!" Tortoise simply replied, "I will be happy to do so when you have returned me to my home." Eagle tried and tried to throw Tortoise off, but in the end, he had no choice but to return him to his home. Once there, Tortoise released his hold and calmly walked to his door. Before going back in, he turned to Eagle and said, "Friendship requires the contribution of two people. I welcome you into my home and you welcome me. Instead, you have chosen to abuse this hospitality. You need not return here anymore." And then he went inside, leaving Eagle to think about his selfishness. What kind of friend are you?