Manners Matter
Be polite with everyone.
Maxim #19
Fr. Thomas Hopko’s 19th Maxim for Christian Living is to be polite with everyone. Manners and etiquette seem to be on the decline in our modern American society and one might question how being polite fits into the Christian life. We need not look far into the Bible to see that Christians are called to be kind and gentle. In Paul’s Letter to Titus, he encourages Titus to remind the people “not to speak evil of anyone or be quarrelsome. They must be forbearing and display a perfect courtesy toward all men.” (Titus 3:2) Being polite is a very real way in which we can demonstrate the dignity which belongs to every person created in the image and likeness of God. It shows respect to another and can lift them up in a world that so often is about tearing one another down. Perhaps the best description of what we might call “Christian politeness” is found in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians when he says,
Love is patient, love is kind. Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs, it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self seeking, it is not prone to anger, neither does it brood over injuries. Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to love’s forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
The basic manners that we learned as children are an excellent way to preach the Gospel in our daily lives. We can lift one another’s spirits simply by the way we greet one another, by taking the time to give someone a smile, and by any other way we can show love and respect to those we see each day.
Related Posts:
About The Author
Comments