Thank You for Being a Friend

(a Steve Orr Bible reflection)

In the early days of social media, my account kept suggesting I become friends with celebrated actor Ashley Judd. Yes, that Ashley Judd, daughter of music star Naomi Judd and sister to country music legend Wynonna Judd.

That friending suggestion popped up with some regularity. Eventually I just couldn’t resist: I clicked on the link. The screen quickly displayed a message informing me that Ashley couldn't be friends with me because she already had too many friends. 

Yes, I was that naive.

It was quite the mystery why the prompt was there. She was a movie star and I was…well, not. I eventually realized it was because the algorithm thingy recognized we both grew up in Kentucky. So, of course we might know each other. But I had learned my lesson. From then on, I just ignored it.  

It's too bad, really. I think if Ashley welcomed me into her circle of friends, I could share some stories that, being from Kentucky, would resonate with her. I could tell her about Paul and Mike, about Carolyn and Ginny Ann, about Bob and Robin, Bruce and Bonnye; about the great times we all had exploring the Land Between the Lakes, spelunking, picking apples to earn spending money, writing poetry, climbing on the monkey bars, playing on the train tracks, driving through the 19th Hole, playing baseball on a makeshift mowed-out diamond, being in school plays and musicals, canoeing Kentucky Lake, holding hands, and, yes, skipping stones.  

Great memories of growing up in West Kentucky: Even the bad parts don't look so bad after half a century. Yes, I think Ashley would recognize some of that—and might welcome a friendship that helps her recall her own growing-up times. Welcoming me would open her to a whole universe of those who are part of me. 

When Bob Dylan wrote his song “I Contain Multitudes” (based on a line in Walt Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself”), he brought forward a key idea: that we contain those who welcomed us into their lives, those who have influenced us, those who shaped us, those who helped make us who we are. Both authors saw a connectivity that stretches across time and space. It’s a wonderful way to understand the promise of true friendship Jesus made to his disciples in this week’s Matthew passage:

"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”

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A little friending music (“Thank You for Being a Friend” —The Golden Girls theme)

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Join us Friday morning on Zoom* or in Waco at Our Breakfast Place for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We start at 8:00. There’s always great food, great scriptures, and a fine time talking about them. Laughter keeps showing up, too. 

Blessings,

Steve 

*Zoom link (Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.)

SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK

Find them here

Print them from here

Genesis 22:1-14

Psalm 13

Jeremiah 28:5-9

Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18

Romans 6:12-23

Matthew 10:40-42

Proper 8 (13) (June 28, 2026) (Fifth Sunday After Pentecost)