Friends at Last

TWO FRIENDS LABORED for years, considering their work to be of utmost importance. But when pressures mounted and circumstances grew difficult, one turned on the other, betraying his friend.

For two years they were separated. Then one day, a letter came. In it, the former friend asked for forgiveness and reconciliation.

A reply was sent concluding with this simple response: “Come on, dear brother, since the war is past, for friends at first are friends again at last.”1

Life, as we know, can sometimes be messy. We make mistakes, we say things we later regret, and days once filled with trust and companionship may be replaced—at least for a time—by hurt and disappointment. But it’s important to remember that what is today need not be forever. Friends at first can be friends again at last.

Each of us carries within us power to reconcile our differences with others. It’s a power we may likely have to nurture and build. It’s often said that the path to peace is to “forgive and forget.” But sometimes, the only way to truly forgive is to strive first to forget.

Reconciliation doesn’t mean we ignore what happened. It doesn’t mean excusing harm or giving endless chances when that isn’t wise. But it does mean choosing not to hold tightly to the offense and instead to loosen our grip on it. To “forget,” in this sense, is to focus less on what was done and more on what can yet be done. Striving to forget clears the path to forgiveness.

It takes courage to be the one who seeks to mend a relationship. And it won’t always be well received. But the very act of sincerely trying begins the work of reconciliation, of remov-ing the “what-ifs” that might otherwise linger if we had never tried.

People matter so very much. Relationships are of great worth. Any strain in the friendships we cherish is worth improving—and it’s never too late to try. One of the great experiences in life is reconciliation.Paul the Apostle offered this counsel: “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peace-ably with all men.”2

May we—in our relationships that matter most—have the foresight and courage to ensure that “friends at first are friends again at last.”

See History of the Church 4:163–4.Romans 12:18.