It is the middle of the night and you are wide awake.  You are worried about this or that.  You are remembering the day just past and what you could have or should have done differently.  You can scarcely begin to look ahead to the day that begins in just a few hours.

You sure could use a shoulder to lean on.  You sure could use a friend.  Do you have such a friend?  Who is your 2:00 a.m. friend?

This is the interesting question that is circulating on the internet.  Maybe it speaks to people’s late night worries.  Maybe it speaks to loneliness and desperation.  Maybe it just a way of talking about who you can count on.

I think, at its heart, it is a question that essentially asks: “Who can I rely on?  Who can I be in touch with even in the middle of the night?”

Among the answers to this question you will find folks naming people like their spouse, a close friend, or a relative.  Others will say that thanks to the texting, their 2:00 a.m. friend is someone who can be across the country or across the planet.  Some will say that their 2:00 a.m. friend is their journal and a pen.  Or it could be the internet itself; surfing from site to site.

How about you?  Who is your 2:00 a.m. friend?  Who can you turn to no matter the hour, no matter the circumstance?  Who can you rely on?

I expect you know where I’m going with this.  As a person of faith and as a disciple of Christ, your 2:00 a.m. friend is Jesus Christ.  Through the power of prayer you can access this friend quicker than texting and more reliably than the closest person in your life.  No matter the hour, he is always there; always waiting for you to bring your whole self to him—your worries, your joys, you hopes, your fears.

The great gift of our faith is that you are never alone.  You are never without help.  You are forever accompanied, supported, validated, and cherished.  No matter the hour, not matter the situation, you are eternally held in a love that has no beginning or end.

So the next time you are awake at 2:00 a.m. and need a friend, before calling texting or surfing, try praying.  Try taking a moment to realize that Christ is with you and has divine energy, love and resources that you can draw upon to still your mind and bring you peace.

See you in church,

–Rev. Dominic