你可能曾經看過或聽過類似這樣的話：「一個人，走得快；一群人，走得遠。」這句話說得很好，不是嗎？但有沒有可靠的研究能證明這句話不只好，而且還相當正確呢？

有！事實上，一項由英美學者進行的研究顯示，當人們獨自站立在一座山前，這座山就顯得高大雄偉，但若與別人一起站在山前，雖是同一座山但山卻變小了。換句話說，他人的支持非常重要，它甚至可以將我們心中的大山縮小。

大衛在與約拿單的友誼中，體驗到了這句話的美好與真實。在大衛的經歷裡，掃羅王的妒火就如一座無法翻越的大山，令大衛為自身安危擔憂（撒母耳記上19章9-18節）。如果沒有他人的支持，即來自大衛最親密的朋友約拿單的支持，那麼大衛的人生可能會截然不同。那時，約拿單知道他父親要殺大衛，又見父親如此卑劣地對待大衛，心裡非常難過（20章34節）。他選擇與朋友大衛站在同一陣線，甚至為大衛質問父親掃羅：「他為什麼該死呢？」（32節）這段蒙上帝祝福的友誼鼓舞大衛，讓他按上帝的旨意成為以色列的君王。

我們的友誼很重要。當上帝位居友誼的中心，我們就能互相激勵去做比想像中更大、更好的事。

You may have seen or heard some variation of this saying: “If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together.” It’s a lovely thought, isn’t it? But is there any solid research to reassure us that these words are not just lovely, but true?

Yes! In fact, one such study by British and American researchers demonstrated that people estimated the size of mountains as significantly smaller if they were standing with someone else as opposed to when standing alone. In other words, “social support” matters—so much so that it causes even the size of mountains to shrink in our minds.

David found that kind of encouragement to be both lovely and true in his friendship with Jonathan. The jealous anger of King Saul was like an insurmountable mountain in David’s story causing him to fear for his very life (see 1 Samuel 19:9-18). Without some sort of support—in this case his closest friend—the story could have been drastically different. But Jonathan, “grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David” (20:34), stood by his friend. “Why should he be put to death?” he asked (v. 32). Their God-ordained friendship bolstered David, allowing him to become Israel’s king.

Our friendships matter. And when God is at the center of them, we can spur each other on to do greater things than we might imagine.