The Lost Art of Bowing

It is one thing to bow (literally or figuratively) to God.

But to bow to a fellow human…now that’s a different story. 

What is “bowing” about?  To bow is to acknowledge someone’s superiority over us. 

Why is that so hard? 

Remember, everyone is your superior in some way…everyone.

To bow (show respect, give honor) to your fellowman is not to diminish or demean yourself, it is to acknowledge that you are not the end all and that others have worth and are making a difference too.    

To bow is to remember.  It is to remember other people’s sacrifices and struggles to get where they’ve gotten in life and your bow lets them know that someone remembers and honors them for that. 

Sometimes, to bow, is to honor an honorable position whether the current holder of the position is honorable or not.  And to not bow is to diminish us all.

And then sometimes to bow is to call out greatness in someone that they didn’t even seem themselves.  Sometimes something as simple as a show of respect can heal a wounded heart and restore someone’s self-respect so that they can get back in the race.

And finally, to bow can be to bow out.  It is saying, “I do not have to win every time,” or “I do not have to have the last word.”  It can even be a way of saying, “I was wrong and I am sorry.”

Of course, all these reasons required humility and that could be the root of the problem we have with bowing.