Monday, November 7, 2022

A Proper Good-bye

 

Photo of a Scripture verse


“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God, and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
—2 Corinthians 13:14

Do you remember the Mad Hatter from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland?

“I’m late! I’m late… for a very important date. No time to say, ‘Hello! Good-bye!’ I’m late! I’m late! I’m late! I’m late!”

I wonder how often we greet people in such a hurried and cursory manner that we don’t realize the feelings of having been dismissed we evoke in those people? Even more so, I wonder if we fail to properly say our good-byes, as well? The Apostle Paul set an excellent example for us in closing his letter recorded in 2 Corinthians 13:14:

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

It may well be that we should reserve such a spiritual good-bye for our fellow Christians. But, we can certainly still greet people and say good-bye to them in a respectful, love-filled, and attention-granting manner. That’s something worth thinking about, as we begin another new day.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, November 7, 2016

Copyright © 2022 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.