“Show respect to the aged; honor the presence of an elder; fear your God. I am God.” (Leviticus 19:32 MSG)
I’m sitting at a coffee shop and I’ve been watching something amazing. A young man, in his 20’s, brought his gingerly-walking gray-haired grandmother to coffee this morning. I couldn’t tell who paid, but this young man took his grandmother by the arm and led her through the line and then out to a table, 12-feet from my window. He’s facing me with grandma’s back to me. I have a direct view of this young man’s face, and I’m inspired.
His face is one of deep, intentional care. He keeps smiling and nodding in affirmation of what grandma is sharing. He’s never noticed me, and that’s because he is locked in on his grandma.
His gentle and genuine attentiveness is the stuff of, “you-are-the-only-person-in-the-world-right-now.” He continues to smile… He nods… he laughs.
This elderly woman must be in heaven. And, me? I’m transported to a spiritual awareness of things that matter more than most things.
Of course, there are other people around us. From what I can tell, no one else is in awe of this grandchild-grandparent interaction the way I am. They are caught up—the way I normally am—in the to-dos and tasks for a morning workday. No judgment. It’s real life.
But there’s something in me that wants to poke them and point. I’d point to this smiling young man and his devotion to his elderly grandma. I’d ask the two of them if the rest us in this coffee shop might listen in for five minutes and soak in the relational depth of their unique care for each other. I think it’d do all our hearts good.
But, alas, I’m too scared to interrupt all these strangers. I’ll just sit here in my own mind, slightly more awake than I was 20 minutes ago. And I’ll invite you in through my words, if just for a moment.
And, I’ll remind you to “show respect to the aged,” and “honor the presence of an elder.” Because when we do, we’re honoring the God of the universe at the very same time. “I am God,” he says. In other words…
I am.
I’m here.
I’m with you.
And I’ve always been.
I’m in every interaction.
I’m in everyone’s story and journey.
The elderly person has been around a lot longer than you, but I’ve been around longer.
Showing respect to someone older than us might increase our awareness of the ever-present God today.