Proverbs 25:6-7a
6 Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence
or stand in the place of the great,
7a for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.
7a for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.
This verse reminds me of my first choir rehearsal with a local congregation. About half of the choir members were already seated when I came in. I chose a seat in the second row and was told: “Oh, that’s where xx usually sits”. So I moved into the center of the front row and was told the same thing, only with a different name. I moved to the end of the row only to have the same thing happen again. Finally, I went over and stood with my back against the wall. This was met with over the top apologies and invitations to “sit anywhere”. I stalled until everyone was seated and took the last empty chair.
I’d like to say that this was an isolated incident, but it happens with some regularity. It is also one of my pet peeves.
Most of us are more than willing to give-up our seat for a newcomer. It’s the busybodies who try to defend our spots when we’re not there yet that get us into trouble. This happens with seats at the table, tasks that need to be done, and many other situations. It doesn’t matter how well-intentioned we are, excluding anyone violates Jesus’ command to love our neighbor as ourself.
Prayer: Gracious Lord: As I said, this is one of my pet peeves. Forgive my arrogance and teach me to make space for everyone at the table, even the ones who annoy me. AMEN