Part 3, Chapter 21
There was a slogan that was popular many years ago: Friends, don’t let friends, drive drunk. We have heard many stories of drunk drivers, or drivers, driving under the influence of something, who have killed others in an accident. It is very sad to see, drunk driving shouldn’t happen, and friends should be willing to stop them from doing this stupid act.
Friends should be willing to help friends not commit stupid acts. We need friends to point out when we are going down a road we should not travel. Whether it is something that would be fatal or something very minor, we should as friends help friends to be the best that they can be. See that is what friendship is about, helping each other to be the best.
One area that friends can help friends to be their best is in the area of gossip. Friends, don’t let friends, gossip, whether it is true (detraction) or false, friends just don’t do this! “Let us then carefully guard our ears against evil words that would speedily infect the heart. Never hearken to any indiscreet conversation whatsoever—never mind if you seem rude and discourteous in rejecting all such” (Introduction to the Devout Life, 114). Friendship built on tearing others down never works and in the end it tumbles down. A good book on this subject is Sins of the Tongue: The Backbiting Tongue by Father Belet, (I read this book and I need to read it again because it was so good about getting rid of gossip).
Friends too, help friends to get rid of anything that doesn’t bring them closer to God. Friends are willing to say something when it isn’t easy or favorable. Friends are willing to do what is hard. “There must be no dallying with an attachment that is incompatible with the love of God” (Introduction to the Devout Life, 115). Like drunk driving, friends should not let friends do anything that is evil or sinful. Friends, help friends, to be saints!!!