Read about friendship
- Kate and Sally: A Story About Friendship and Judgment by David R. Simons (ages 7-14)
True friendship has eyes and a delicate pair of balance scales. - “The Lord’s Example of Friendship” by the Rev. James Cooper (ages 15-18)
The Lord is able to see our true spiritual character, and He loves the good that He is able to see in us. We must follow the Lord’s own example and seek out what is good in others. - “Looking for Good in Other People” by the Rev. Donald Rose (ages 18 and up)
It is important to look for good in people while also recognizing when their actions are not good.
Ideas for discussion
- To act with charity is to think kindly of others, wish them well, and do good for their benefit. This is also a good description of genuine friendship.
- Since the Lord wants us to be “most friendly to what is good”, this is what He expects us to look for and support in other people. When we befriend what is good in another, we are nurturing what they are receiving from the Lord.
- We should distance ourselves from activities that do not seem good, but we are not to judge others. For no one but the Lord knows the true motivation of anyone.
- It is not angelic to search for the evils with a person unless one also looks for what is good (see Arcana Coelestia 10381).
- People who love the Lord observe what is good in another, and if they see anything evil and false, they excuse it, and if they can, try to amend it in him. But those who are selfish, see in the neighbor only what is evil. If they see anything good, they either perceive it as nothing or put a bad interpretation upon it (see Arcana Coelestia 1079)
- Do you think people tend to look more for the good or more for the flaws in others?
- What are some ways that we can try to support what is good with friends and family?
Projects and activities for various ages
- By Their Fruits (for ages 3 and up)
Picture good and bad fruits, and then write some activities that are symbolized by the two main categories of fruit. - Friendship Necklace (for ages 3-6)
Children make hearts for people they love and then string the hearts together to make a necklace. - He Makes His Sun Rise on the Evil and the Good (ages 4-14)
Illustrate the sun shining or the rain falling and being received by two very different kinds of plants: a thorny bush and a fruit tree. - Food for Thought: Looking for the Good in Others (for teens and adults)
Do people tend to look for good in others or focus on the flaws of others? Why should we try to look for what is good in those around us? - Look for What Is Good Journal Activity (for ages 15 and up)
When you are feeling angry or upset with someone, try this process and see if it helps you feel better about your relationship. - Teen Prayers on Friendship and Judgment
Three prayers to think about ways we can be a good friend to others, such as “help me to treat everyone in the same way that I would like them to treat me, with kindness and justice.”
Sign up to receive notification when new highlights like this are published. Subscribe.