Bow to Your Partner - or The Power of a Name

Last weekend some of us had the incredible opportunity to travel away from Monrovia and Africa Mercy to enjoy some rest and relaxation. I might tell the destination story and include its pictures in another blog. But first I want to reflect on an observation I made as we were enroute in both directions. (No photos this time, just my word pictures, as cameras have been confiscated for attempting to photograph things of lesser consequence, I have been told.)

Robertsport, our oceanside destination, is about a two and a half to three and a half hour’s drive from our dock. Our group was large enough that we took two vehicles. One was a Mercy Ships vehicle, complete with the logo prominently displayed on the driver and passenger side doors. All our gear, and the male group members were in that vehicle. Our vehicle, on the other hand, was a worn-out Nissan nine-seater van, Monrovia “taxi” maneuvered by our able Liberian driver, Abo. By worn out, I mean, an exhaust system that spewed fumes the entire three hour plus drive until I wondered if the headache I was experiencing was from the carbon monoxide, or from the blaring cassette player speaker that was just inches from my ears; a windshield with more cracks than my husband John can put in swatting a fly (old family story – you must ask him); broken seats, and doors that only opened from the outside; and a dash board that did not have any gauges working so who knew how much fuel we had (although to allay any anxiety we might have had about running out of fuel, we stopped and Abo purchased two gallon sized glass jars filled with petrol and placed them behind the back seat – reassuring isn’t it?)

Along our journey there were several “police” check point roadblocks. At each, we had to stop and on at least one occasion, heated “words” were exchanged and our driver had to pay-up for us to be able to proceed, as we were surrounded by men in uniform and men is street clothes preventing us from going any further. On another location, we were all ordered out of the vehicle, and as we were “whites” albeit from several nations, were asked to produce our papers. (The government of Liberia has an arrangement with Mercy Ships that none of us has to carry papers – our Mercy Ships ID is to be enough,) but evidently this guy hadn’t heard that or was not going to acknowledge it. We didn’t give him a chance to argue though, but all crawled back into the taxi and carried on our way. The next check point was a crude road block made of a two by four filled with nails pointing toward the heavens, tied to the end of a rope with a man dozing at the other end of the rope. When we stopped, he looked up, acknowledged our presence, recognized Abo, and he yanked back the two by four to allow us to pass. At some point the guys in the Mercy Ships vehicle passed us – they had started out after we had. Finally we arrived at our destination. We asked the guys how long it had taken them, and if they had had to stop or had any trouble at the checkpoints. Not a single stop for them. As they had driven up to each point, the Mercy Ships logo on the Land Rover had been recognized, the police had smiled, waved, called out something like “Hey, Mercy Ships” and allowed them clear passage. I thought, how interesting that a name can represent so much, and can be so readily recognized as well as the reputation that goes with it.

Our names represent the reputation of our lives as well. Proverbs 22:1 says “You should want a good name more than you want great riches. To be highly respected is better than having silver or gold.” New International reader's Version and Ecclesiastes 7:1 says “A good name is better than fine perfume.” NIrV

I also thought, how highly recognized, respected and honored Mercy Ships are here in Liberia and how in most instances, simply the name will cause people to move to a position of deference. Yet there is a Name even greater to which everyone will one day bow, “When the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone’s knee will bow to worship him. Every knee in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow to worship him. Everyone’s mouth will say that Jesus Christ is Lord. And God the Father will receive the glory.” Philippians 2:10-11 NIrV

May we all willingly bow to Him as partner now!