孤單和友誼
傳道書四章1至11節
1我又轉念，見日光之下所行的一切欺壓：看哪，受欺壓的流淚，且無人安慰；欺壓他們的有勢力，也無人安慰他們。
2因此，我讚嘆那早已死的死人，勝過那還活著的活人。
3並且我以為那未曾生的，就是未見過日光之下惡事的，比這兩等人更強。
4我又見人為一切的勞碌和各樣靈巧的工作，就被鄰舍嫉妒。這也是虛空，也是捕風。
5愚昧人抱著手，吃自己的肉。
6滿了一把，得享安靜，強如滿了兩把，勞碌捕風。
7我又轉念，見日光之下有一件虛空的事：
8有人孤單無二，無子無兄，竟勞碌不息，眼目也不以錢財為足。他說：“我勞勞碌碌，刻苦自己，不享福樂，到底是為誰呢？”這也是虛空，是極重的勞苦。
9兩個人總比一個人好，因為二人勞碌同得美好的果效。
10若是跌倒，這人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，沒有別人扶起他來，這人就有禍了！
11再者，二人同睡，就都暖和；一人獨睡，怎能暖和呢？
信息分享
孤單並不等於單獨一人，你可以擠身人群，卻很孤單。當你不能與任何人建立有意義的關係，孤單的感覺便會油然而生。任何年齡的人都可以感到孤單，它令人感覺自己無用，或是不能實現自我。當我們碰到人生挫折，事與願違時，就會出現最強烈的孤單感。
朋友卻讓我們受用一生。正如所羅門說：「兩個人總比一個人好……若是跌倒，這人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，沒有別人扶起他來，這人就有禍了。」這幅圖畫清晰凸顯出我們一生都需要朋友。人與人之間的友誼，可能會隨著年齡而轉變，但我們始終需要朋友的扶持。
即使在教會之中，也有很多人感到孤單。初期教會不單強調真理的教導，還重視彼此的相交（徒二42）。教會必須提供一些聚會，讓信徒及訪客建立彼此相交的生活；那些初次踏足教會的人並不是立即想要成為會友，而是希望與信徒建立關係。新朋友來到你的教會，他們會得到怎樣的接待呢？
與此同時，我們必須小心提防自己陷入自憐的境況。所羅門在本章第1節兩次提到「無人安慰者」。在這世界上，信徒的最大安慰者就是基督自己。請翻到哥林多後書一章3至4節，神必隨時安慰我們。神已應許永遠與我們同在，祂必信實到底，願我們每天都能經歷神的安慰。
LONELINESS AND FRIENDSHIP
Ecclesiastes 4: 1-11
1 Then I returned and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun:
And look! The tears of the oppressed,
But they have no comforter—
On the side of their oppressors there is power,
But they have no comforter.
2 Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead,
More than the living who are still alive.
3 Yet, better than both is he who has never existed,
Who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
4 Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.
5 The fool folds his hands
And consumes his own flesh.
6 Better a handful with quietness
Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.
7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun:
8 There is one alone, without companion:
He has neither son nor brother.
Yet there is no end to all his labors,
Nor is his eye satisfied with riches.
But he never asks,
“For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?”
This also is vanity and a grave misfortune.
9 Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
Message
Loneliness is not just being alone. You can be lonely in a crowded room. Loneliness is the felt absence of any meaningful relationship with another person. It can touch every age group. It is a feeling of uselessness, or even unfulfilment. It is strongest when things are not working out for us as we think they should.
Friendship on the other hand can mean so much. As Solomon said, “Two are better than one. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up.” The picture is very clear and emphasises strongly the need of friend right throughout our lives. At different stages, friendships may change but the help friends can give remains the same.
There are lonely people in all of our churches. The early church was as strong on fellowship as it was on teaching (Acts 2:42). Every church needs to develop the fellowship angle between those attending regularly and those visiting. Those who come for the first time are not looking for membership - they are looking for a relationship with the Lord’s people. What do they find on their first visit to your church?
At the same time, we all need to watch out lest we become sorry for ourselves. Solomon spoke twice in the first verse of those who had no comforter. A believer has the greatest comforter in the entire world - Christ Himself. Turn now to 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 and discover for yourself the truth that Christ is there to comfort us when we need it. He has promised to be with us always and He always keeps His word. Count on this today and every day.