The beginning of wisdom

"The fear (awe-struck reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..."

It's easy to come to a new culture thinking you have all the answers if only people would listen to you. What I've found is that I can learn a great deal from the people I'm surrounded by. In this picture, following local pratice, my copy of the Scriptures is in a book stand on the top shelf. Here, the Holy Book belongs in the highest place, the place of respect, and nothing else sits beside it. In America how often did I put my Bible on the bottom of a stack of books or carelessly leave it on the floor? How often were its pages bent, its cover marked up from being tossed into the back seat of my car? No one here would dare treat a Holy Book in such a way. It is the word of God, given to us as a gift, a love letter, a promise, a comfort, a set of instructions, a hope for things to come, and so much more. This book deserves far more care and respect than my copies of Shakespeare, Dickens, Grisham, or the latest best-seller. This is no ordinary book; it is not full of ordinary words. Unlike some people here I do not believe that the Book is equivalent to God. There is a level of awe, respect, and wonder reserved only for Him. But His word is the only part of Him that I can touch here on earth; should I not handle it with the most reverent of touches?