Respect

Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers fear God, honor the king.1 Peter 2:17

My father spent 24 years in the army and retired as a chief master sergeant. He was raised in rural Pennsylvania, lived through the depression, lied about his age to get into the army, went through World War II and Korea and along with others of his generation worked to rebuild our country after World War II. My father insisted on respect. In our house there was always, "yes ma'am, no ma'am, yes sir and no sir" or the consequences were not good for your physical health. Unfortunately, disrespect has risen in our culture where it is epidemic. Respect for elders is a strong feature of the Dinka culture. I remember meeting Bishop Nathaniel Garang on my first trip to Werkok, Sudan. Bishop Nathaniel Garang is a relative of John Garang, who was the leader of the SPLA resistance movement in southern Sudan for greater than 20 years. John Garang has, unfortunately, recently died in a helicopter accident. I observed that when the Dinkas would meet Bishop Nathaniel Garang, they would take their left hand and place it over their right elbow, bow, and shake hands. Why do they do this ? To show respect. This is the way they show respect to their elders. They cherish their elders as a storehouse of wisdom and experience. How truly different that is here in Sudan than amongst our culture in America.

Mike McMahon

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant that I could hardly stand to have the old man around, but when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years." - Mark Twain

Prayer Power

Lord, help us to learn to show proper respect to everyone. In Christ's name, amen.