I’ve been doing a lot of walking and as I walk, I pass people and they pass me. I try and greet everyone. It’s an acknowledgement of their presence. I’ve seen them. They’ve seen me. Sometimes, I’m straining up the hill into the wind and in my effort in moving forward, I have not greeted. They haven’t either!
I think there should be a law to acknowledge one another. The Greeting Law. If you pass a person who is walking, a greeting must be given.
A couple of weeks ago, my brother and I walked around the track at Tokai forest. There are several signs there with rules of the track and one of them is to greet. It’s an acknowledgement of the other being there and generally the reason for them printing the importance of the greeting on the sign is really for safety purposes. If you make eye contact and greet the oncoming walker/dog walker/horse rider/cyclist, all parties will know the others are there and you’re unlikely to get run over!
As I have walked the highways and byways of Fish Hoek, when I greet, every single person responds. Some gruffly say ‘hello’ – others cheerfully say ‘good-morning’ – still others looked very surprised and quickly respond “Hello hello!” I always try and make eye contact with them – acknowledge their presence.
We are in a world of division – divided by culture, by race, by class, by profession, by size, by religion.
But we all walk upright; we all cry the same colour tears; we all bleed the same colour blood.
Greeting unites us for a moment in time as human beings enjoying the same footpath.
1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
What a mess this world is in. There are so many disagreements- so many divisions – so much disunity.
In order for us to fulfil 1 Corinthians 1:10, we have to make the first move. Strive for agreement, peace and unity and a lack of judgment.
It starts with me.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂