A Culture of Honour
25 May 2023 · Ella Wakeman
This month, the Onelife team headed off to Switzerland to partner with Jahu church for Ufbruch 2023—a conference for young people from across Switzerland.
To be honest, my initial expectations of the trip weren’t too great. I mistakenly thought we were going to Bern—a beautiful, picturesque, historical city surrounded by water and mountains. You can imagine I was not best pleased when I found out we were actually going to Biel—an industrial town, a very very long way away from the mountains.
But what we experienced was so much better than stunning views. As soon as we arrived—at around midnight—we were greeted like royalty and treated like family. We were welcomed with excitement and attention despite the late hour, and given baskets full of Swiss treats. We felt honoured and loved from the word ‘go’. The next day, the leaders of the church took lengthy times out of their day to answer our questions and share their stories.
One particular intern—Marlene—was busy planning the event and had a lot of demanding tasks at hand. However she insisted that we had lunch together later that day. She gifted me with her time, despite her busyness, and made me feel so loved, honoured, and appreciated. I got to share my faith journey and ended up praying for her to receive dreams from God. It was such a special time of connection.
The word honour in the Bible is often closely paired with the word love. Romans 12:10 (Passion Translation) says, ‘Be devoted to tenderly loving your fellow believers as members of one family. Try to outdo yourselves in respect and honour of one another.’
One thing I have come to realise about this verse is that it’s a choice. It’s a choice to love people and show them honour and respect. Marlene could have simply walked past me and carried on with her busy day—I wouldn’t have been offended. But she chose to wholeheartedly love me by gifting me her time and attention.
We could all be more like Marlene!
My question when I arrived was, ‘Why would anyone want to live here?’ but by the end of the trip, my question was, ‘Why would anyone want to leave?’ The community we encountered is so rich because of the investment they have all individually made in each other. After seeing the fruit of this, I now even more understand the importance of investing in my friendships and relationships back home—so that I can continue to grow in my character and encourage others to do the same.
Despite my initial expectations being thrown out the window, I still got to enjoy plenty of Swiss chocolate, and even got to hike up the Creux du Van, a beautiful mountain! But more importantly, I discovered a beautiful community of people who can’t help but demonstrate the love of Jesus in the way they care for one another.
