When a person spends time in a foreign country there is the potential to learn a great deal about life, language, and learning. When we served as missionaries in Romania, I was always confused whenever I would meet someone on the streets, and then say “goodbye.” In America we have separate words for “greeting” and saying goodbye: hello and appropriately goodbye. In many places of the world life is simpler, and people simply use the same word for both. It took me a good part of 9 years to become comfortable with someone saying “hello” as we were saying goodbye to one another. In Romanian, the word that is commonly used for both is: Salute. This word serves as the etymological base for our English word: Salutation.
People communicate much about who they are in the manner and content of their greetings. I still remember recently when I was talking to my neighbor and before he told me his name, he told me that the was “ex-military.” I am still tying to understand what he was trying to say by telling me that. But, often we will greet people and tell them “what we do.” I get this. It defines who we are, and gives others a general platform to understand us. People who were raised in Akron communicate clearly by telling others where they went to high school: listen as sides are drawn between those who went to East and Garfield.
The apostle Paul is going to send a clear message to the church in Philippi about how he perceives his social location in their community. Remember, Paul comes with solid “street creed.” After all: He was an apostle! Yet, he does not allow his credentials define his relationship, rather, he allows his humility and theology define his relationship with the Philippians. He was a person of servanthood, who participates in community, and was impacted by God’s grace and peace!
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