The Silent Command

“Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter which fork you use.” ( Emily Post, 1922)

The American Emily Post was the ultimate authority on human etiquette for not only the United States, but also for much of the rest of the world from the time she published her first etiquette book in 1922 until her death in 1960.

Emily Post received hundreds of letters asking advice on manners for all occasions. In one letter a British man wrote that he had planned on attending his uncle and aunt’s fiftieth wedding anniversary when very unexpectedly he had received an invitation for the same date to tea at Buckingham Palace, where the queen gave occasional receptions for her subjects. The writer wondered which event he should attend.

Emily Post wrote that an invitation from the palace was not entirely an invitation, but was actually a command. The head of state, the queen herself, was entitled to command her subjects as part of the larger “family” of the nation. The uncle and aunt must wait.

Throughout the Bible, God makes many invitations to His people. Those who perceive them as commands drop everything else and obey; some never do: After Elijah had thrown his cloak over Elisha, Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant. Elisha had kissed his parents goodbye. (I Kings 20-21)

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Both Elijah and Jesus were extending invitations that were also commands. Only some souls recognize the command inside the invitation, because only a few souls recognize the person of our God in the invitation. Eleven of the disciples recognized the call and the command. Since then there have been souls in every generation who have heard, recognized, and responded to the invitation/command. What does it take to be one of those? At the very least it takes recognizing that the One who invites has a right to command, and finally, it takes a willingness to respond. With Peter , Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid.”, and Peter was able to accept both the invitation and the command. I believe Jesus is still commanding every one of us, “Don’t be afraid.”

Love in Him,

Prue