This weekend, I had the privilege of participating in the funeral service for a retired Fire Department Captain.  While I never knew him as a fire captain, I knew him as a member of our church.  The Fire Department impressed me with the way they showed him honor at the funeral service.

Several retired Fire Department personnel, led by the chief and assistant chief attended the funeral.  The department provided an honor guard that participated in the service in several ways.

The casket was loaded on the back of an old fire truck especially modified for use at funerals.  As we proceeded to the cemetery, we drove underneath a cross created by two aerial trucks.  Old Glory hung between the two ladders. It was an impressive sight. They appropriately showed honor to a man worthy of honor.

Whom Do We Honor

That afternoon, I thought about the people we seem to honor in our culture today.  Sadly, many look to the entertainment industry, sports, and politics for heroes. Our celebrity-addicted culture celebrates the vile, divisive, and selfish, while the more honorable receive ridicule and scorn.

Men and women who serve our community in the military, law enforcement, and fire/rescue/emt often receive our criticism.  Those who wait tables, teach kids, and perform other thankless jobs do so without even a “thank you.” Everything about that seems sadly out of perspective.

Showing honor is actually a Biblical mandate.  In the midst of a couple of chapters instructing us how to be good citizens, Paul included this:

Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. – Romans 13:7

An Honorable Challenge

Here is my challenge to you this week – find a creative way each day to honor a public servant.  Here are a few ideas.

1. If you see a police officer or someone in a military uniform in a restaurant, offer to pay for his or her meal.
2. Send your child’s teacher a gift card. Don’t wait for end of year or teacher appreciation. When you do something nice when it is least expected, it is most appreciated.
3. Prepare a meal or buy a box of doughnuts and drop them off at a fire station.
4. Verbally bless your waiter or waitress or the cashier behind the counter. Tell them how much you appreciated their service.

I gave you a few ideas for starters, but I am sure you can come up with some creative ideas.  How about clicking on the “leave a comment” link above and share some ideas of how we can honor others?