December 9,  2022

Reflection

HONOR  SHAME - SOCIETY

I first heard about Honor-Shame in Society in the Bruce Malina and Rossbach's books on the world of the Mediterranean Basin in the First Century, The term was "Honor Shame Society" or something like that.

It's now 8 to 10 years later and I still really do no understand it.

Jack Kingsbury just came back from a workshop he attended in Minnesota.  He said this topic came up. He said he now understands it. I said, "Well someday you have to explain it to me."

Well, let me try to do that right now for myself.

In a given village, people try to become the elite.  They want to have the better house, the better garden. They want to be the better family.

Some jobs have more prestige than other jobs. The mayor is higher than the garbage collector. The owner of the estate is better than servants at that estate.

Today a degree from Harvard is thought belter than a degree from Appalachian State or Anne Arundel Community College.

When asked, "Where are you going to go to college?" it sounds better if you say, "Princeton" than saying you're going to Delaware State College.

So some cars, salary, degrees, jobs, titles, are pushed as better than others.

That's honor.

Shame is the reverse.   "Oh I never did graduate from high school."

"Shame shame on you."

"I have a skin disease."

"My daughter had a baby out of wedlock."

"Shame shame on you."

"Throw stones at her."

"Jesus ate with sinners. He dined with them."

"That's a no, no.  You just don't do that."

In Philippians 2: 5-11 we hear that Jesus came to become one of us - but he took an even lower place. He became the servant of all.

Is that it?  Does that explain honor-shame in society?