The Wall Street Journal recently described a unique way 10 men, who knew each other
as teenagers, have kept in touch with each other ever since. They are actually engaged in
a game of tag that has lasted 23 years. It started in high school when, during the morning
break, these boys would chase each other around the campus of their prep school in
Washington state.

Now these guys are in their 40s, fanned out around the country, and in very diverse
careers. One is chief marketing officer for Nordstrom. One is a tech company manager.
One is an attorney. Another is a high school teacher. Another: a priest in Montana.
Every February — for the whole month — the game is on.

There are no geographic restrictions on this game. Just as in schoolyard tag, one player
is “It” until he tags someone else. The last one tagged in February is “It” for the year.
Players can be tagged at work, at home, anywhere. The Journal says, “They form
alliances and fly around the country. Wives are enlisted as spies and assistants are
ordered to bar players from the office.”

The men have done things like leaping out of the trunk of a car, or sneaking into a
house at 2 AM. One grabbed a flight across the country and spent 2 days hanging
around outside his target’s apartment, hiding in bushes, driving up and down the street
and waiting in favorite watering holes only to find his friend was out of town for the
weekend. When he found out, the target friend was disappointed. He said he would have
sacrificed getting tagged to spend some time with his old schoolmate.

These men have gone to a lot of trouble and expense to maintain their friendships and it’s
a sort of reminder of how important it is to take special care to nurture and maintain our
relationships in the body of Christ.

American Christians live in one of the most individualistic societies there is. And,
especially if we’re of political and economic conservative persuasion, we place great
value in personal achievement. Sometimes in our quest to accomplish our goals people
fade in importance compared to getting things done.

Then years can go by and we haven’t picked up the phone to talk to that person that was
once in our life. We’ve let the old friend who lives across town, or even across the street,
drift away from sheer neglect.

When we came to Christ we got connected to Him. But we also became part of the body.
We’re meant to operate in community. My pastor says we’re “not fine” without it. When
you’re going through troubles only a believing friend can help you see deliverance and
view trials as appointed by a loving Father. It takes close Christian friends to help you
answer the ultimate questions of life. We should make every effort to keep them close.