by Nick Davis
The lowest seat: A man who can switch on humility is not humble. Humility is an attitude gained through failures, not an attribute deployed in success.
Suck-up: A sychophant only wants power, not service.
Moralism: Where morality poses as holiness, lust will abound.
Crusades: Causes align friendships to the cause, not to the love of God.
Outsiders: Church-mindedness robs us of the privilege of dining with prostitutes and tax collectors.
Trust: Those who share painful times will share private worlds.
Bullies: Headstrong men use friendliness as a lever for co-operation.
Two kingdoms: God will disciple you towards laying down your life for your friends. This is the end goal of the Christian trajectory.
Money: Friends are spontaneous givers and reluctant receivers.
Communiques: True friendship always includes one-to-one correspondence. Social networking alone loses the one amidst the many.
Snares: Never lay traps – you are guaranteed offence and loss of friendship.
Justice: You deserved justice but received mercy. So pass on to others what they don’t deserve too.
Infallibility: You are never as right as you think you are. And when you are dead right, you can still be dead wrong.
Silence: Saying nothing only makes you appear wise; it is not wisdom itself.
Risk: Being clumsy with our words is a great sign of love.
Death: To lay up treasures in heaven, we must see just how much God treasures others.