I went to see the new Pixar film “Up” last night with a group of friends, a kind of finale before work starts for the summer and everyone gets busy with their own schedules.  What a great film.  Inspiring?  Check.  Heartwarming? Check.  True love?  Check.

For those who have seen the movie, I think the first 15 minutes and the last 10 minutes impacted me the most.  While the whole movie was enjoyable and definitely worth watching, what I walked away contemplating came from the opening and closing sections of the film.  Those first 15 minutes portray a kind of love I think we all long for: a self-sacrificing, service-oriented, deep-rooted relationship between two people, based not on superficial beauty or looks, but on the inner beauty of each individual, the shared interests, the common goals, the willingness to treasure the other person above all else.

While that scene in “Up” was about a romantic relationship, I found myself thinking more about friendships, and the friends I have, for it is not only romantic relationships that should be deep-rooted, but friendships as well.  It seems like so many friendships nowadays are superficial, and while it is important to have acquaintances, to network, to make business connections, I think too many times we get lost in a world of “friends” who we know very little.  We need to go deeper.  I think each of us needs a group of solid buddies, the kind that will have your back in every situation.  The kind that will run around at 2am playing harmonicas and singing.  The kind that will pick you up on the downer days.  The kind that will stay up until early in the morning talking you through your problems.  The kind that is not afraid to confront you about your decisions, encourage you in your dreams, and challenge you in your faith.

I believe I’ve found that group of friends.  I had a few solid buddies throughout my childhood.  We hung out, goofed off, got into trouble every so often, and made no shortage of memories.  And we still keep in touch.  But I’m beginning to realize that it truly is in college that you make so many of the  friendships that will last the rest of your life.

I moved to Seattle knowing nobody, save for my cousin and his family, who lived in the area.  I knew not a single person at the University of Washington.  All of my acquaintances and friends went to different colleges, got jobs, or were still in high school.  By God’s grace, I ended up living at the University Christian Union, with 25 other Christian guys, 18 Christian girls next door, and an amazing cook who saved me from the Top-Ramen and Macaroni diet I may have otherwise adopted.  And what a blessing it has been.  I’ve spent two years there now, living, learning, loving, and getting to know what it really means to live in a community of believers.  We’ve been crazy, having dance parties, going on camping trips, and hosting talent shows.  We’ve gone deeper through Bible studies, small groups, and worship nights.  And I’ve formed friendships that I know will last long after I’m out of school.

These are the friends that keep me going on those late nights, after 12 hours of studying for finals with little progress.  These are the friends that encourage me to get outside my box, to take risks and enjoy life in college instead of letting school take over my life.  These are the friends with whom I stay up until 2am playing guitar, writing stupid songs, or talking about life in general, as we work through our struggles together.  It is this group of friends that is continually challenging me to be more loving, more accepting, more encouraging, and more humble.  Through baseball games, canoeing, cards, water fights, dances, study sessions, rock climbing, racquetball, camping, small groups, lunches, talent shows, Bible studies, video games, music, worship nights, frisbee golf, Compline, movie nights, pranks, and discussions, I’ve had the privilege of spending time with some of the most amazing people I have ever met.  Guys, girls, seniors, juniors, sophomores, freshmen, engineers, mathematicians, artists, designers, programmers, scientists and those in medicine, quiet, loud, reserved, outgoing, early-risers, late-nighters, from different backgrounds and at different points in their journeys.  These are the people I live with, laugh with, and learn to love with.  These are the people that teach, admonish, encourage, advise, challenge, and inspire me.  These are the people I met in college, but will know the rest of my life.  These are the people with whom I can go deeper.  There is nothing superficial here.  These are my friends.