Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Deli Bread. I'm Sheridan Voizzi, and I've titled our reading today, Rent-A-Friend.

For many around the world, life is getting lonelier. The number of Americans who have no friends

has quadrupled since 1990.

Certain European countries have up to 20% of their population feeling lonely, while in Japan

some elderly folks have resorted to crime so they can have the companionship of inmates in jail.

Entrepreneurs have come up with a solution to this loneliness epidemic. Rent a friend.

Hired by the hour, these people will meet you in a cafe to talk or accompany you to a party.

One such friend was asked who her clientele was. Lonely 30 to 40 year old professionals, she said, who work long hours and don't have

time to make many friends. Ecclesiastes 4 describes a person who is all alone without son

nor brother. There's no end to this worker's toil, yet his success isn't fulfilling.

For whom am I toiling, he asks, waking up to his plight.

Far better to invest in relationships, which will make his workload lighter and provide help in trouble,

because, ultimately, success without friendship is meaningless.

Ecclesiastes tells us that a cord of three strands isn't quickly broken,

but neither is it quickly woven.

Since true friends can't be rented, let's invest the time needed to form them,

with God is our third strand, weaving us tightly together.

Today's scripture reading is from Ecclesiastes chapter 4, verses 7 to 12.

Again, I saw something meaningless under the sun.

There was a man all alone, he had neither son nor brother.

There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content

with his wealth. For whom am I toiling? he asked, and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?

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