My Friend

An interesting poem I ran across, “My Friend,” by D. J. Higgins. It is built on the motif of the condemned blaming a Christian friend who never spoke of Jesus Christ to him. I do not believe people will stand before God and point fingers at others – each must answer for his or her own sins. This is nevertheless a way to make the point “you never mentioned him to me.” Are we really friends to our friends? Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.

My friend, I stand in judgment now,
And feel that you’re to blame somehow.
On this earth I walked with you day by day,
And never did you point the way.

You knew the Lord in truth and glory,
But never did you tell the story.
My knowledge then was very dim,
You could have led me safe to Him.

Though we lived together here on earth,
You never told me of your second birth.
And now I stand this day condemned,
Because you failed to mention Him.

You taught me many things, that’s true;
I called you friend and trusted you.
But now I learned, now it’s too late,
You could have kept me from this fate.

We walked by day and talked by night,
And yet you showed me not the light.
You let me live, love and die,
You knew I’d never live on high.

Yes, I called you “friend” in life,
And trusted you in joy and strife.
Yet in coming to this dreadful end,
I cannot now call you “my friend.”