TONYE COLE: DO YOU KNOW YOUR PLACE
He carried himself as one who knew his place amongst the most powerful of men and understood his influence in the world of high stake diplomacy. At well over six foot tall, he had the physical presence to go with the imposing resume but also displayed a sense of ease that left no one in doubt of his control over his life and ways. As we walked towards him, in the private club that was partly his domain, one could tell that in this environment was one place he would most certainly have felt most at home for it was kitted with all the trappings of his home country; a home away from home.
His face lit up with a grin that softened his well worn face and he unleashed his best diplomatic and gentlemanly charm upon the wife of my youth as he escorted us to the clubhouse for a drink and chat that would impact us all in no small way. The table we chose was not hidden in the back corner of the room, nor was it in a closed out section that guaranteed privacy and quiet but none of that mattered for the culture of sycophancy was firmly shut off at the main entrance of the premises. People came and went, saw and knew him, but no one approached our table thereby displaying absolute respect for each other’s privacy and zero intrusion in the space of others.
The Almighty is a relationship god, His existence as a Holy Trinity evidence to the power of respecting each other and working in perfect unison. At no time does One usurp the authority of the Other, neither is it phantomable that any would be abusive of other. unsurprisingly, it is therefore almost imperceivable to differentiate One from the Other. This is His divine expectation of us as human beings too. A people working together in harmony, appreciative of each other’s gifts and contribution to the issues of life. everyone entering the clubhouse that day, knew the office this gentleman held and the power in his hands over their lives but no one approached with trepidation and false humility or a sycophants need to be seen and recognized as everyone was confident of their role and function and went about their business without fear or intimidation. May we learn to appreciate one another better today.