A Close Friendship

Elephants have some of the longest memories of any mammal on the planet. Circus workers will tell you that after 40, 50, even 60 years, an elephant will remember someone who worked with them decades ago. Elephants are multidimensional. They can live between 60 and 80 years. They show many human qualities such as grief, compassion, humor, cooperation, playfulness, and excellent learning abilities. When you make a friend, it’s usually for life. Animal or human, the bond is strong and long lasting.

Elephants in a herd are like professional athletes on a team.  Baseball, basketball, football, soccer and other sports players enjoy the process of male bonding, friendship, competition, mentoring, mediating, camaraderie and often showing off solo.  These professionals are a tight-knit group of athletes.  In the matriarchal world of elephants, males are also known as being members of the boys-club.  The male bulls tend to wander off at times banding with other macho males for friendship, games, bonding, fighting, competing. In the elephant kingdom each knows their place in the social hierarchy.  Take a good look at the picture here.  Since the elephants cannot give high-fives, body-bumps, head-butts, slaps on the back or other gestures—the males entwine their trunks representing friendship, trust, communication—trunk talk. Friendship is important in the mammal arena.    

Paul the Apostle had some enduring friendships that lasted till his last days. One of his closest friends was a man named Barnabas. Barnabas was described by the gospel writer Luke as one who consoles or encourages, a good man who was full of the Holy Spirit. 
Barnabas played a very important role in the early life of the church.

First, Barnabas convinced the apostles of the genuineness of Paul’s conversion in Acts 9:27. Second, Barnabas represented the apostles at Antioch and recognized that the movement there was the work of God indeed in Acts 11:22-24. Thirdly, Barnabas and Paul were sent by the Holy Spirit on Paul’s first missionary journey in Acts 13:2. Fourthly, Barnabas vigorously defended the work among the Gentiles at the Jerusalem council in Acts 15. Where do you find a friend that supports you through thick and thin? Barnabas and Paul spent a year in Antioch, meeting with the church and teaching a great number of people. And please, let’s not forget, that the early followers of Christ were first called “Christians” at Antioch!

An elephant may remember his handler fifty years later. A devout Jew who converts to Christianity may remember his close friend until the day he dies. But it’s a close friendship with God that endures forever. Is anything more important than that?