THE HONOR OF OLD AGE

Proverbs 16:31
The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

Leviticus 19:32 also commands us: Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord.
In the Name of God, we are to honor righteous (Word obedient) older folks. We are to honor them and acknowledge their presence by rising from our seats when they walk in a room just like we would do for dignitaries.

Old age found in righteousness has no shame in it. It does not feel the need to change its qualification to ‘senior’ or other attributes to avoid saying ‘old’. I study the Word everyday; I therefore grow spiritually everyday. It stands to reason that the more days I have to study the Word, the wiser I will get. This is why older folks are so revered: their advanced age brings with it assumed advanced knowledge of the things of God. It is strange how today young people assume they know more than their elders.

Today there is a sentiment of shame in acknowledging old age. This is so sad. In a perfect world, old age is immediately seen as the result of the blessing of God, and even in this world, old age while living a righteous life is certainly still a sign of the Almighty’s blessing. Why is it that our world has so corrupted everything (I think I know the answer to that question)?

In Asian societies, older folks are revered as ancients and elders of their communities. It is common concluding staple of Indian movies that after a series of complicated personal problems, a person would go up to the upstairs bedroom of the house to confide in the lone meditative grand-father or grandmother who would then give them an experienced word of advice. It is strange though that as a result, these societies who do not have a negative attitude towards old age do not experience mid-life crisis.

May our old age bring with it the wisdom of ages. May it bring with it the respect and honor given to kings. May we be worthy of that honor.