Finding Faith ... in a beautiful friendship founded on a simple stick
EDITOR'S NOTE: In October 2021 I began a new venture writing a newspaper column titled "Finding Faith" for the Forum Communications Co. network of newspapers and websites. I was asked to contribute to the company's ongoing conversation about faith, lending a Lutheran and fairly ecumenical approach to the discussion. The column was published in several of the company's papers and websites, including The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. This column originally appeared as a "Finding Faith" column on June 13, 2025.
By The Rev. Devlyn Brooks
I’ve written about our 3-year-old husky mix rescue before. About his anxieties which make him seem less than friendly, and frankly which have inspired a curse word or two around home.
But the other night I witnessed him make a new friend in the most beautiful of ways.
I walk our dogs on the same route I have used for the past 11 years. So, "Howie" has walked by this particular house hundreds of times. And it just so happens that our neighbor living there often is coming and going to his car or working in his yard on the same schedule as our evening walks.
Well, "Howie" can come off as quite an irritable crank when coming across new people in public. His anxieties peak when someone new comes near, and his first instinct is to bark and take a defensive posture.
And this gracious man has endured this on multiple occasions when he has tried to say hello to “Howie.”
However, a few nights ago, the neighbor was in his side yard, trimming trees and such. This time, "Howie" was curious enough to creep within about a foot of the man, and rather than become the grouch he normally does, Howie laid down and took to chewing on one of the branches that lay at the man’s feet.
Now, "Howie" is a big, big fan of sticks. And when I shared this, the neighbor reached down and offered our little grumpster a stick. My, oh my. You’d have thought that the veil between heaven and earth had parted!
"Howie" gratefully took the stick, and almost simultaneously dropped on his side for belly scratches. That was it; "Howie" had a new friend. … I mean, if the man was smart enough to understand the value of a good stick, he couldn’t be all that bad. Right?
The next night the neighbor was outside again. This time "Howie" even let him pet him and gave him scratches behind the ears. So it seems the stick trick was no fluke. "Howie" generally likes our neighbor now!
I chalk this all up to the Holy Spirit, of course. Because who else could utilize a stick for such clever purposes?
But more importantly, the episode has got me thinking: After all, I’ve been reading a lot lately about the loneliness crisis we’re all facing.
I haven’t worked out all the theological details yet, but I’m certain Howie’s new friendship offers us faithful people something to ponder. Who are we in this story? Are we the neighbor reaching out with an offer of friendship (a stick!)? Or are we Howie, the reluctant recipient?
Weighty stuff for sure, which is providing me something wonderful to dwell on during our walks.
But I think the bottom line is that friendship is good even when it’s brokered by a good stick. Amen.
Devlyn Brooks is the CEO of Churches United in Moorhead, Minn., and an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America serving Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. He blogs about faith at findingfaithin.com, and can be reached at devlynbrooks@gmail.com.
Đọc bài về tình bạn gắn với một cây gậy đơn giản mà thấy nhẹ lòng. Chuyện nhỏ như vậy mà giữ được lâu, tôi nghĩ cũng nhờ cả hai người đều kiên nhẫn. Lúc đọc tôi lại nhớ hồi còn trẻ hay ngồi ngoài sân chơi với bạn, chẳng cần gì nhiều. Dạo này tôi hay nghe bạn bè nhắc tới Nhà Cái 789K trong mấy câu chuyện phiếm buổi tối, nghe tò mò nhưng chưa tìm hiểu. Bài viết khiến tôi nghĩ đôi khi thứ gắn kết người với người lại là những điều giản dị nhất, không cần to tát.
The detail that stays with me is how an ordinary stick can become the starting point for a friendship. It gives the story a small, tangible center, rather than making the bond feel abstract. That idea of play growing out of whatever is close at hand also made me think of game names such as 789 club, though the article itself is really about the connection between the two people. I liked that the friendship seems to matter more than the object; the stick is simple, but the meaning attached to it is not.
Tựa đề về việc tìm thấy đức tin trong một tình bạn đẹp bắt nguồn từ một chiếc que đơn giản nghe như câu chuyện nhỏ nhưng có ý nghĩa sâu hơn. Tôi tò mò chiếc que đóng vai trò gì trong tình bạn ấy, và đức tin được nhắc theo nghĩa tôn giáo hay niềm tin giữa người với người. Trong thời gian nghỉ đọc, tôi đôi khi nghe người khác nói về game bài đổi thưởng; cái tên https://gamebaidoithuong360.com từng xuất hiện trong một cuộc trò chuyện không liên quan. Tôi chưa biết thêm gì về trang. Bài viết khiến tôi chú ý đến cách một vật bình thường có thể trở thành dấu mốc trong ký ức.
The story about finding faith through a friendship founded on a simple stick was unexpectedly touching, with its focus on small gestures and shared walks. The stick as a symbol was simple but meaningful. It reminded me of quiet reading evenings when my thoughts drift, and I once noticed a reference to game bai doi thuong where the name 33win was mentioned briefly in a discussion I skimmed. The narrative is gentle and reflective, emphasizing presence over grand statements, and I came away thinking about how the smallest shared rituals can hold a lot of meaning.
Bài viết kể về một tình bạn đẹp bắt đầu từ một cây gậy đơn giản, mình đọc xong thấy ấm áp. Tác giả mô tả cách hai người gặp nhau và dần trở nên thân thiết qua những lần đi dạo cùng nhau, nghe rất tự nhiên. Có đoạn nói về việc niềm tin được xây dựng từ những điều nhỏ nhặt, mình nhớ có lần ngồi xem một trang giải trí tên uu88, thấy người ta cũng hay chia sẻ những câu chuyện về tình bạn theo cách tương tự. Bài viết không dài, nhưng thông điệp về sự gắn kết giữa con người vẫn được truyền tải rõ ràng.