I love doing my workouts first thing in the morning. Here are today's steps:
I love even more getting into the word before that. Honestly, this morning I was side tracked while memorizing Phil. 4:4. Does that ever happen to you -- you start out focusing on one verse and then your attention is drawn away to another? I'm talking about that odd Greek noun Paul uses in Phil. 4:5.
In Greek, it looks like this: epieikes. The term can be rendered in any number of interesting ways. My favorite is Hendriksen's "big-heartedness." But "forbearance," "gentleness," and even "moderation" would also work. The Living Bible reads, "Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do." Interestingly enough, when I looked at the major German translations, I found at least 3 different words used to render epieikes:
- Freundlichkeit
- Lindigkeit
- Sanftmut
The one that stood out to me was "Freundlichkeit," or "friendliness" in English. German-speakers are not exactly known for their friendliness. Is that a mere caricature? Are the Swiss, for example, as cold and aloof as people describe them? The answer is absolutely not!
Here's the deal. I've noticed that the farther north you go in Europe, the larger the "privacy zone" that people claim in public spaces. If you've ever lived in Germany or Switzerland you will know exactly what I'm talking about. In Switzerland, where my wife and I sojourned for 3 years, people don't easily interact with strangers. This was a bit hard on us because we both have a gregarious temperament. We'd greet someone on the street but were rarely greeted in return. We soon discovered that there was nothing malicious about this silence. It's largely a matter of perspective. Are the Swiss as stodgy as people describe them? Are Americans as intrusive as people think? Whatever you're used to is what is "normal."
Growing up around Americans, Becky and I were used to meeting people, chatting, and making lots of new friends. And yes, for a while at least, Swiss people often seemed cold and distant. Still, friendships were made. The majority of our close friends turned out to be fellow members of our German-speaking church in Basel. They were always very warm and sociable with us. But as for strangers -- Swiss people (and Germans too) tend to engage in very little small talk. They tend to take their privacy very seriously. A "mind-your-own-business" mentality is very real. But if you can earn their full trust, you will have a friend for life. Here Becky and I are enjoying some Chinese cuisine in Basel with Herr and Frau Bächtold and their daughter Lilly. They were among the 80 or so members of our small Baptist church there.
One thing Bec and I learned over the years was this: "reserved" does not necessarily mean "unfriendly." Most Swiss people aren't very talkative at first. They won't "chat you up" easily. But the terms "friendly" and "unfriendly" probably don't apply here. They're just trying to be polite (as they define politeness).
Incidentally, we met many expats in Basel, mostly from the U.S. and U.K, who prefered to live in their small, expat communities and not learn the language. Then they wondered why they never met any Swiss people or made any lifelong friends during their temporary stay in the country. They go back home thinking the Swiss aren't very friendly. I think it's more an issue of unrealistic expectations than unfriendliness. Whether in America or Switzerland, making friends is an investment of time and effort to really get to know people.
In Basel, Becky and I had plenty of opportunities to practice epieikes. It is a "sweet reasonableness" that shows forbearance and graciousness all around. This is sometimes very hard to do when you live in a different culture. But it's what Paul is commanding us to do irrespective of who we are or where we are living.
Have a great day!