Rom 13:7; “Render therefore to
all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom
custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”
I turned on the television set
this morning to find the Monaco F1 Grand Prix was on. Ran since 1929, the race
is held on a narrow course laid out in the streets of Monaco, with many elevation changes and tight corners as
well as a tunnel, making it one of the most demanding tracks in Formula One. In
spite of the relatively low average speeds, it is a dangerous place to race. It
is the only Grand Prix that does not adhere to the FIA's mandated 305 kilometers
(190 mi) minimum race distance. The Monaco race is some 30 miles
less. Watching these skilled drivers take these machines to speeds up to 177mph
on this particular track is simply breathtaking. When it was all over the top
three drivers gathered together to receive their prizes and accolades. It was
at this point the television coverage STOPPED!!! Viewers that had watched these
drivers do 78 laps were not allowed to see them celebrate. This really irked
me. This is not the first time I have watched a sporting event to its
conclusion, only for the television coverage to end.
What is it about our culture,
that we are so concerned with the actual result more than the opportunity to
celebrate the achievements of someone else? How many times have you been robbed
of the chance to see a victory lap, or a podium full of excitement and accomplishment?
Why is it that when we watch a sporting event on television we have the scores
from other games scroll across our screens?
As a society we are so results
driven that the only thing we often care about, is the result. We are often not
even bothered about how the result was achieved. We just want to know the bottom-line.
The danger of having this mentality is that we get a particular result and
simply move on to the next task. Results are so ‘black and white’ that they
often remove us from the human element of the accomplishment. One problem with
this is we are not ‘spreadsheets’ with ‘formulas’ that work regardless of their
environment. We usually put our blood, sweat and tears into a task. The result
is then, much more than a ‘W’ in the win column, it is a ‘W’ that has cost
something.
Paul instructs us in his Epistle
to the church in Rome, that we should give honor to whom honor is due. This
means that we should celebrate our achievements. When we see a brother or
sister in the Lord come through something with a note of victory, we should
take time to celebrate and rejoice with them. We should take time to elevate
them and honor them. This is very hard to do in a self-absorbed individualistic
society.
Let us try to have our Inner Man
break through the walls of our own feelings and desires so that we can give our
time to someone else. Someone, whose achievements should be recognized and
celebrated. May we all increase in our ability to honor one another.
