Unequal Friendship

There is no doctor who commands from me greater respect than Dr. Frank Sinatra.  Despite sharing the same name with the late famous entertainer, Dr. Sinatra bears little resemblance to the leader of the famous "Rat Pack" of Hollywood stars.  He is a pediatric gastroenterologist, an internationally known expert in childhood liver diseases, and for many years was the director of the pediatric gastroenterology training program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles/University of Southern California.  Dr. Sinatra is deeply devoted to the training and development of young doctors under his charge, and I am forever indebted to his several years of hands-on mentorship.  He also played a few years of minor league baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, loves horses, is often rather self-effacing for someone of his professional stature, is committed to his family, and enjoys Italian opera.  The one time that Dr. Sinatra really got mad at me was when I brought a UCLA coffee mug into his office.  I should have known that he was a die-hard supporter of USC Trojans athletics.

I would love to be like Dr. Sinatra when I grow up...someday.

I still remember my first meeting with Dr. Sinatra after I started my training.  He reached out his hand, and offered while warmly gazing at me with his sparking eyes, "Glenn, call me Frank."

I have known Dr. Sinatra for over 18 years, and have spoken with him on countless occasions, sometimes as a colleague and friend.  However, I have never called him Frank.  I simply respected him too much to call him anything other than Dr. Sinatra.  We may be friends, but it is an unequal kind of friendship.

A similar unequal friendship was also offered by Jesus to his disciples:

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you."  John 15:12-15

Indeed, Jesus called us his friends, but this does not necessarily mean that our relationship with God is equivalent to those with our friends at the office, school, gym or even at church.  The authors of the New Testament, including those who walked with Jesus on earth, never lost sight of this, as they never called Jesus "friend".  I am Jesus' friend because he chose to lay down his life for me and befriend me.  Jesus is my Lord and Savior, and that will not change no matter how long I know him.

Special Occasions

Most of my clothing occupies about one-third of the walk-in closet in the master bedroom.  It includes about a dozen well-worn dress shirts in various colors, several pairs of dress pants and slacks, about twenty neckties, a green sport coat that I purchased for a special dinner event twelve years ago, miscellaneous clothing that my brother-in-law no longer wears (but my wife thought that I would want), various casual stuff, and a two-piece suit.  I am particularly fond of the suit, as it is a gift from my father almost twenty years ago when I was in Taiwan for a short-term medical missions project.  It was hand-made by my father's tailor, and it is the only tailored suit that I have ever owned.  The simply designed dark single-breasted wool suit has only been worn a few times a year, but has served me well in job interviews, weddings, funerals, graduations and special dinner parties.  It has been impeccably maintained over the years, has only been dry-cleaned, and likely will remain quite serviceable for several more years, provided that I maintain my figure, and only wear it for special occasions, in the same way that vintage Ford Model T's are only taken out occasionally for Sunday morning drives.

It is natural for us to regard certain events as being more special or important than others.  At school, daily reading assignments and homework are mundane, but final examinations and term papers require special attention and preparation.  A major league baseball game in late spring is only a game, but come World Series time, every game, every inning and every pitch becomes of great importance.  Getting dressed for work is no big deal, but getting dressed for a wedding, especially if it is one's own wedding, is sufficient cause for anxiety attacks.

What about getting ready for church on Sunday mornings?

It wasn't long ago when being in one's "Sunday best" meant that he or she is dressed up in a fashion that is appropriate for going to church, where believers gather before the presence of God.  However, as churches are increasingly reaching out to "seekers" who may be uncomfortable with the idea of visiting houses of worship, there has been progressive emphasis on making the church experience more inviting, friendly and comfortable.  The house of worship, where the focus was rightly on God, has become a community of believers, where people, rather than the Almighty, now occupy the center of attention.  Instead of trembling before a holy God, the new image of our deity is one who is "with us", "in our hearts", demands little of us, is not intrusive, and is available to our whims whenever we feel like it.  As we pay less thought to gathering before the holy Creator of our very existence and more on bringing "seekers" to the "community of believers", it is natural to become more casual in our church attire.  After all, why dress up if we're just getting together with friends, right?  After all, didn't Jesus himself say to the disciples that he called them friends?

On the other hand, there was no mistaking the holiness of God when Moses led the Jews in the desert:

And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever."


When Moses told the words of the people to the LORD, the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day.  For on third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.  And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying 'Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it.  Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.  No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.'  When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain."  Exodus 19:9-13


Although as Christians we now live under grace rather than under law, the holiness and awesomeness of God remains unchanged yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever.  While I may not necessarily put on my suit next Sunday, I nevertheless need to approach the house of worship with expressions of reverence that is fitting before the throne of the Almighty, both inside and out.