A New Code of Honour
By Marieke (field worker)
For some time now, one question has been on my mind: How does a culture of honour and shame affect the way people listen to the Bible? Among the people I have the privilege of working with, honour plays a major role. Receiving honour and avoiding shame often determines how people think, act, and relate to one another. I notice this every day, especially among young people. They are not quick to speak openly. Shame weighs heavy on a person, and no one wants to risk losing face.
Slowly, I began to understand that behind much of this behaviour lies a different way of thinking. In an honour culture, life revolves first and foremost around relationships. Sin is not primarily seen as breaking a rule, but as damaging a relationship. What brings honour to the community is considered good; what brings shame to the community is considered wrong. An African colleague once put it very clearly, “For us, good and evil are largely determined by the community. What may seem wrong to you can actually be considered good by us because it protects the group.” Those words got me thinking.
Honour versus sin
Where honour is the highest value, sin often only truly becomes guilt when it comes to light. As long as harmony is maintained and no one loses face, sin may not feel as serious. That is why confessing sin can be extraordinarily difficult. After all, it brings shame. After four years, I am still discovering new layers of this culture. I certainly do not understand everything, but one thing is becoming increasingly clear to me: for many people, honour is the lens through which they view life.
BIBLICAL MESSAGE
It is precisely here that the biblical message sounds surprisingly different. For a Christian, the decisive question is not what people consider honourable, but what brings glory to God. The Lord turns our standards around. What the world esteems is often of little value in His eyes; and what the world despises, He glorifies.
The Lord Jesus says, “But whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister.” True greatness is found in humility. True honour is found in obedience. And reproach for Christ’s sake is not a disgrace in God’s kingdom, but a crown.
In the past, a person might have found honour in his family, his ancestry, his possessions, or his social position. But after conversion, the decisive question changes. It is no longer, “What will give me status?” but, “What will glorify God?” That changes everything.
Brothers and sisters
Sometimes I have the opportunity to speak with people who pay a high price because they want to live according to the Bible. Some are rejected by their families. Others lose their place in the community. By human standards, their names carry shame. But in God’s eyes, they are honoured. What the world rejects, Christ receives. He is not ashamed to call them His brothers and sisters.
A Lesson for everyone
In reality, this is not a lesson that applies only to another culture. My own heart is constantly seeking the approval of others as well. I too long for appreciation, recognition, and a good name. But the Lord calls me to a different code of honour.
He does not ask me to seek the honour of people, but His honour. That means repeatedly choosing, as the writer of Hebrews puts it, to “go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach” (Hebrews 13:13). This is not an easy path for the flesh. But it is the path of the King, who Himself endured all shame in order to give His people everlasting honour. Whoever may follow Him, discovers that the honour of Christ is worth more than all the honour this world could ever give.
