4th May
Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? Job 12, 12
Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19, 32
Which system of values for our time?
"Its form makes it unusable, it does not produce easily, therefore it is not profitable. But, after several years, it has developped and grown, even if it carries the marks left by bad weather left. And it is now so large that you can rest in its shadow . Its shadow and the rustle of it's foliage are rich symbols."
In our society, progress is synonymous with productivity. And productivity requires strength, power, ambition; it is the youth's own. Thus priority for youth. Then, what do we do with the elderly people? They spend a lot of time at home. They are not any more combatants on the ground, But they have acquired wisdom and experience.
If they are believers, their most precious goods are the spiritual resources: prayer and the knowledge of God's word and of the Father. They got to know the value of the life. They know that the relationships, especially the relationship with their God, pass before the possession of material goods. A life of faith devoted to the service of God remains a force of example.
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.(Psalm 92, 12 - 14)