Honour

Hello world...

I’m using my daily thoughts and encounters to discover as many things as possible which bring us together, rather than divide, our various belief systems and cultures.

Today an old university friend of mine got in touch from the Far East, where he has been spending time on his own spiritual journey.  I thought to myself that the Far East would be an excellent place to take such a journey, particularly given the high regard in which the Japanese hold honour.

That got me thinking, what has happened to honour?  Does it now exist only in Japan?  What does it mean?  Like most words, and certainly like every abstract noun, it has various meanings to different people.

To a linguist, it means the dictionary definition, ‘personal integrity’.  To a Knight of the Round Table, honour would have meant chivalry – protecting the weak, innocent, and people of their kingdom.  To a Scout, Guide, Cub etc, honour is an assertation that the promise you have just made will be kept.  To a golfer, honour is being the first to tee-off.  To a lady, honour is staying true to your virtue and/or to your partner/husband.  To a card player, an honour might be the Ace of Trumps.  To the Queen, honours are to be bestowed twice a year on those most deserving.  And to a Christian, honour plays an important part in the Ten Commandments.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with any of these meanings.  But honour once played a far more significant role in our societies than it does today.  Honour was once a way of showing respect to each other and their families, property and livelihoods.  It was so important that sometimes it was fiercely protected, but as time went by honour became more like a badge of pride to be squabbled over, rather than anything people could respect in each other.

I say bring honour back.  I do not mean pistols at dawn to settle a dispute, or ‘hara-kiri’ for a loss of honour.  I mean let us honour each other in the way the Bible intends us to.  It doesn’t matter if you are Christian or not, respect for each other as members of the human race is always applicable.  Such behaviour would filter down to our children, who would learn easily how to respect property as well as their peers.

Still need further convincing?  OK, imagine a car journey where all the drivers show honour and respect first, rather than anger and frustration.  Suddenly your journey becomes easier, stress-free, and the roads are a whole lot safer.  Imagine applying this ethic to all situations.  Wouldn’t it be so much easier to work with rather than against?

No, negative emotions will never be eradicated (and nor should they be – God made us Humans not Vulcans), but let’s only use them when we really need to.  Let us honour each other, as we might honour our fathers and mothers, even it’s just with a nod and a smile to the person you see every day but never speak to.  And let’s just see what happens.

Thanks for listening, take care.