孤单和友谊
传道书四章1至11节
1我又转念，见日光之下所行的一切欺压：看哪，受欺压的流泪，且无人安慰；欺压他们的有势力，也无人安慰他们。
2因此，我赞叹那早已死的死人，胜过那还活着的活人。
3并且我以为那未曾生的，就是未见过日光之下恶事的，比这两等人更强。
4我又见人为一切的劳碌和各样灵巧的工作，就被邻舍嫉妒。这也是虚空，也是捕风。
5愚昧人抱着手，吃自己的肉。
6满了一把，得享安静，强如满了两把，劳碌捕风。
7我又转念，见日光之下有一件虚空的事：
8有人孤单无二，无子无兄，竟劳碌不息，眼目也不以钱财为足。他说：“我劳劳碌碌，刻苦自己，不享福乐，到底是为谁呢？”这也是虚空，是极重的劳苦。
9两个人总比一个人好，因为二人劳碌同得美好的果效。
10若是跌倒，这人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，没有别人扶起他来，这人就有祸了！
11再者，二人同睡，就都暖和；一人独睡，怎能暖和呢？
信息分享
孤单并不等於单独一人，你可以挤身人群，却很孤单。当你不能与任何人建立有意义的关系，孤单的感觉便会油然而生。任何年龄的人都可以感到孤单，它令人感觉自己无用，或是不能实现自我。当我们碰到人生挫折，事与愿违时，就会出现最强烈的孤单感。
朋友却让我们受用一生。正如所罗门说：「两个人总比一个人好……若是跌倒，这人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，没有别人扶起他来，这人就有祸了。」这幅图画清晰凸显出我们一生都需要朋友。人与人之间的友谊，可能会随着年龄而转变，但我们始终需要朋友的扶持。
即使在教会之中，也有很多人感到孤单。初期教会不单强调真理的教导，还重视彼此的相交（徒二42）。教会必须提供一些聚会，让信徒及访客建立彼此相交的生活；那些初次踏足教会的人并不是立即想要成为会友，而是希望与信徒建立关系。新朋友来到你的教会，他们会得到怎样的接待呢？
与此同时，我们必须小心提防自己陷入自怜的境况。所罗门在本章第1节两次提到「无人安慰者」。在这世界上，信徒的最大安慰者就是基督自己。请翻到哥林多后书一章3至4节，神必随时安慰我们。神已应许永远与我们同在，祂必信实到底，愿我们每天都能经历神的安慰。
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.