text: in friendship we think we have chosen our peers in reality a few years difference in the dates of our births a few more miles between certain houses the choice of one university instead of another the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting any of these chances might have kept us apart but for a christian there are strictly speaking no chances a secret master of ceremonies has been at work christ who said to the disciples ye have not chosen me but i have chosen you can truly say to every group of christian friends ye have not chosen one another but i have chosen you for one another the friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out it is the instrument by which god reveals to each of us the beauties of others