Spiritual Friendship: Learning to Be Friends with God and One Another

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Spiritual Friendship

So please tell me, has it slipped your mind, or do you yet remember, what passed between you and your friend Ivo on the topic of spiritual friendship? What questions did he ask you? How far did you go in your explanation, and what did you put in writing on these matters? 5. AELRED: Ah, the memory of that most dear man, and of his constant esteem and affection, are still always with me! Although he is no longer living among men, he brought so much to our relationship that he seems to my mind never to have died. For he is always there with me: his pious visage shining forth, his laughing eyes, his pleasant conversation, all of which are so agreeable that I sometimes think I have either passed on with him to better things, or else he is still involved in earthly affairs with me here below ( Heb 12:1 ). 2 But you know that many years have passed since I lost the bit of paper on which I wrote down his questions and my answers on spiritual friendship. 6. WALTER: Yes, I’m well aware of that. But, to tell the truth, all my desire and impatience in this matter come from this: I heard from some brothers that your notes on spiritual friendship were found and returned to you three days ago. I beg you, show them to me. I ask you as a child would ask his father; for my spirit will not rest until I see them all and take note of what is lacking in your discussion, and bring to the scrutiny of their author those matters which either my own wit or some secret inspiration will point out for examination, for rejection or acceptance, or for exposition.

2 Just as Jesus was present, yet invisible, in the first conversation on friendship, now Jesus and Ivo are both invisible, yet present, participants in this second conversation about friendship.