Loyalty

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Have you heard about Arthur?

No, not the King who was famous for the Round Table and for having loyal knights.

This is another story of loyalty.

It’s the story of a dog. Called Arthur.

But first some quotes on loyalty…

“Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.”

(J.R.R. Tolkien)

“Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.”

(Confucius)

“Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved.”

(Martin Luther)

“Loyalty is from above, betrayal is from below.”

(Bob Sorge)

“Loyalty isn’t grey. It’s black and white. You’re either loyal completely, or not loyal at all.”

(Sharnay)

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

(Proverbs 17.7, The Bible)

“But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

(Ruth to her mother-in-law in the book of Esther, The Bible)

Arthur’s Story

Arthur was a stray dog found by a team of Swedish athletes as they travelled through Ecuador. Mikael Lindnord, one of the team, fed the stray dog some meatballs and the dog loyally started following the Adventure Racing Team. The dog went with them through rivers, climbed hills on the hikes and went mud-deep on treks. Even when they tried to get rid of the dog, he refused to go. The team named him Arthur and Mikael Lindnord adopted the dog, taking him back to his native country of Sweden. After four months in quarantine and being looked after, Arthur was released to his new loving family in March 2015. An amazing and really touching story of the loyalty of one dog.

Arthur Video

Direct Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8F6eNKp-jg

Arthur the stray dog

Point

So what about you? How loyal do you think you are.

I trained with the army both as an army cadet and specifically I went and trained with the Royal Artillery (I was thinking of joining as an officer but didn’t). One of the things we did were exercises that trained us to obey orders and to be loyal to one another – buddies who ‘had each other’s back’ and looked out for one another – in the way we inspected each other’s kit for parades, the state of our rooms and kit and out on exercise in the field and covering each other with gunfire.

Loyalty is really important in life and is something that makes relationships work. It means not gossiping about your friends; it means sticking up for your friends and it means looking out for each other. Loyalty will help you out in life in all kinds of ways. If you are loyal and kind, you will find that more often than not, people are loyal and kind to you. But there is a loyalty that goes beyond even our closest friendships.

The Bible tells us this, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

As Christians, we believe that this is talking about Jesus and tells us that he can be like a friend who sticks closer than a brother, a best mate or even Arthur the dog. Many Christians will tell you how Jesus is real, how he helps them in their everyday life, how he has changed their life for the better and how he is with them even in the tough times of life. 

So here’s two things to think about today. First, are you a loyal person? Second, why not find out more about Jesus and his loyalty and friendship towards you – you can find this out by talking to a Christian or looking in the Bible. Just something to think about…