Is there Honour among thieves?
When I think of honour, immediately my mind goes to famous characters from books or movies. From the daring rescues of super heroes, to the knights of the round table.
While I contemplate these fascinating and exciting heroes, I am drawn further into the whole idea and process of honour. What is honour, what makes a person honourable? Who shall we look to for an accurate example of honour? How do we become honourable?
The dictionary defines honour as "A mark, token, or gesture of respect or distinction." That may sound very well and good. But what does that really mean? What is this mark, and who decides when and if someone receives honour? The dictionary also says that honour is a good name; reputation. However important these things are I believe the dictionary fails to bring the true meaning of honour. For I believe honour is not merely an outward mark of respect or a good name, but an outward flowing of that which is contained in the heart and mind of a person. Honour then is this, The outward display of courage and respect and being of a good stature, that reflects the true inner integrity of a man or woman.
A great many people have been called honourable. It is often a title reserved for those that carry out justice such as judges. It is also used in regard to people of higher class standing. Although having a higher class does not necessarily make one honourable. Super heroes however honorable they may be are only an imaginable attempt to find an honourable individual, they may be honourable but they do not exist in reality. Even the great literary heroes, the first I think of is king Arthur, and the nights of the round table but any study into their lives will come up with a men in many cases overtaken with lust and greed. Even historically people that have been deemed as honourable have come up short in one way or another. I think a person that is truly honourable, does not seek honour but rather seeks the honour of others before their own. I believe this is what The Bible teaches us. It's a paradox in a sense. We must be humble to be exalted, we must be last to be first. Over and over again the scriptures point to this truth. I think back to the ones that strive for justice, but with out mercy and grace there is no love, without a perfect and holy love there is no justice, and without justice balanced by these things there is no honour. Who is honourable but God alone?
How then, if anyone claims to be honourable, does he or she become such? There isn't a magic spell or a Dorothy-clicking-of-the heels, that brings us to honour. Honour cannot be bought or sold. Honour is not a one time phenomenon, but rather something that we must daily ascertain to become. If God alone is honourable, to become honourable, we must therefore become like him. We must not think that we can become gods ourselves because this is a farce, that in our own self absorption we are inclined to believe. It is only through the greatest outpouring of propitiation at the death of Christ for our own punishment that we see the greatest example of honour. And it is only from there that one can expect to become honourable.
I claim this power, yet I am not honourable, not yet anyway. I have a long way to go. Each day I must begin again. I am the worst. I claim to want the best for people and yet out of the same mouth come words that tear and rip apart these same people. I claim to honour those in authority over me, but yet I feel I am in a constant battle to resist their authority and instruction. Sometimes I want to do things my own way, even though it isn't right. A friend of mine was reading an interesting quotation "It's like my mind knows what's right, but my heart is being retarded..."(author unknown) There will always be a battle of wills, and usually it begins within. Even the most honourable make mistakes, but they are considered honourable because they choose to make right their wrongs and to change the way they live. Therefore, in becoming honourable, I must forgive and receive forgiveness, and learn from my mistakes.
While I contemplate these fascinating and exciting heroes, I am drawn further into the whole idea and process of honour. What is honour, what makes a person honourable? Who shall we look to for an accurate example of honour? How do we become honourable?
The dictionary defines honour as "A mark, token, or gesture of respect or distinction." That may sound very well and good. But what does that really mean? What is this mark, and who decides when and if someone receives honour? The dictionary also says that honour is a good name; reputation. However important these things are I believe the dictionary fails to bring the true meaning of honour. For I believe honour is not merely an outward mark of respect or a good name, but an outward flowing of that which is contained in the heart and mind of a person. Honour then is this, The outward display of courage and respect and being of a good stature, that reflects the true inner integrity of a man or woman.
A great many people have been called honourable. It is often a title reserved for those that carry out justice such as judges. It is also used in regard to people of higher class standing. Although having a higher class does not necessarily make one honourable. Super heroes however honorable they may be are only an imaginable attempt to find an honourable individual, they may be honourable but they do not exist in reality. Even the great literary heroes, the first I think of is king Arthur, and the nights of the round table but any study into their lives will come up with a men in many cases overtaken with lust and greed. Even historically people that have been deemed as honourable have come up short in one way or another. I think a person that is truly honourable, does not seek honour but rather seeks the honour of others before their own. I believe this is what The Bible teaches us. It's a paradox in a sense. We must be humble to be exalted, we must be last to be first. Over and over again the scriptures point to this truth. I think back to the ones that strive for justice, but with out mercy and grace there is no love, without a perfect and holy love there is no justice, and without justice balanced by these things there is no honour. Who is honourable but God alone?
How then, if anyone claims to be honourable, does he or she become such? There isn't a magic spell or a Dorothy-clicking-of-the heels, that brings us to honour. Honour cannot be bought or sold. Honour is not a one time phenomenon, but rather something that we must daily ascertain to become. If God alone is honourable, to become honourable, we must therefore become like him. We must not think that we can become gods ourselves because this is a farce, that in our own self absorption we are inclined to believe. It is only through the greatest outpouring of propitiation at the death of Christ for our own punishment that we see the greatest example of honour. And it is only from there that one can expect to become honourable.
I claim this power, yet I am not honourable, not yet anyway. I have a long way to go. Each day I must begin again. I am the worst. I claim to want the best for people and yet out of the same mouth come words that tear and rip apart these same people. I claim to honour those in authority over me, but yet I feel I am in a constant battle to resist their authority and instruction. Sometimes I want to do things my own way, even though it isn't right. A friend of mine was reading an interesting quotation "It's like my mind knows what's right, but my heart is being retarded..."(author unknown) There will always be a battle of wills, and usually it begins within. Even the most honourable make mistakes, but they are considered honourable because they choose to make right their wrongs and to change the way they live. Therefore, in becoming honourable, I must forgive and receive forgiveness, and learn from my mistakes.
posted by becka at 3:54 AM
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