How we tend to our elders . . .
says a lot about who we are.
Are we committed to support those older than us?
What does the Bible say about caring for those who cannot care for themselves?
Watch our Truth in Two (minutes) to discover answers to those questions (full text below).
Protecting those who cannot protect themselves arises out of a Hebraic-Christian ethic.
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Picture Credit: Luke Renoe, Snappy Goat
FULL TEXT:
My local supermarket considers me to be “a senior.” During the Covid-19 crisis my grocer has allotted special hours for folks of my age group. Why should older Americans be given a privilege of shopping for food and sundries ahead of others? Words used of senior Americans during our virus-crisis include:
Susceptible: as we age, youthful defenses against disease and injury give way to the possibility of sickness
Exposed: some seniors are alone, unprotected as they advance in age, subject to illness in ways younger people may not be
Prone: being liable to falling, difficulty of movement, or general slowness marks many as they mature in years
Do I need special accommodations from my grocer? Personally, no. But there is a biblical reason why a culture might commit itself to protecting older citizens. Beginning in the First or “Old” Testament, commands are given to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
God Himself declares in Deuteronomy and the Psalms His personal commitment to “widows” and “orphans.” He expects the same of His people. In Isaiah 1 God tells Israel, “Bring justice to the fatherless and plead the widow’s cause.” And in James 1 He tells Christians that pure religion means we should “care for orphans and widows in their affliction.”
Are you an older American, struggling with your own vulnerabilities in an uncertain world? Thank God that you live in a culture with an ethos which respects age. Are you a younger American, wondering how you might help during this time of need? Thank God for the opportunity to serve those older than yourself.
At the Comenius Institute we believe that treating older folks well should be true all the time. If a grocer mirrors biblical belief, how much more should we?
For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, President of the Comenius Institute, personally seeking truth wherever it’s found.