What value?

Commentators were surprised, yesterday, at the estimated value of Facebook - $50 billion. This makes Facebook more valuable than many other household names, such as eBay or Tesco. What does that tell us?
Clearly, the hordes of people who regularly use Facebook to keep in touch with their friends in a virtual way do so because they value their friends. Critics, aware of some of the downsides of virtual communities, fear for the health of people's emotional lives, if they primarily in a virtual world. Many status remarks appear self-absorbed and destructive of genuine relationships. But maybe the downsides are symptoms and not causes.
But millions of people, all over the world, are able to keep in some sort of touch with people they might not otherwise contact. For myself, as well as several Church friends in Woking, Facebook has helped to keep in touch with a godson who flies helicopters in California, and with my Australian (cricket loving) Islamics tutor, who is now Down Under.
But how highly do we value our friends? Do we sufficiently invest our time and lives in continuing to build good relationships with our friends? In the midst of his busy and dangerous ministry, St. Paul clearly valued his friends. We get a hint of how many he had from Romans 16. Here, he tells of those in Rome whom he already knows. For instance, 'Greet my dear friend Epenetus. He was the first person from the province of Asia to become a follower of Christ. Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for your benefit. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews, who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles and became followers of Christ before I did. Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. (Romans 16.5b-9)
I am reminded of my need to keep in touch with my friends, to value them and to pray for their continued growth in Christ.
Best wishes,
Richard