Great Man

It can be quite revealing when we separate ourselves and take time to contemplate the meaning of some of the words we use to relate our estimate of a person’s worth.

When do we say that a man is great? When do we celebrate him? When do we rate him as being successful? Is it when he has become the Head of State or a member of the Senate? Perhaps it’s when he has become a business magnate like Bill Gates or exceptionally literate with a doctorate. Alright, is it when he is late?

It is unfortunate how often we underestimate the weight of the good word, ‘great’. A man manipulates, intimidates and humiliates others; yet we call him great when he is late. How easily we fail to appreciate the contributions of that poor good man across the street simply because he has no academic certificate. We equate greatness with the amount of money a man is able to accumulate.

A man is not great because of his current state or status but because of his deliberate contribution to the emancipation of fellow men. It is because he is passionate about alleviating the plight of others. He appreciates the need to donate to charity and does so. His path is straight and his dealings indicate honesty.

Greatness is not a status conferred on man by fate, but a quality he consciously cultivates. Neither a seat in the Senate nor an academic certificate is mandatory. It is the virtue that we demonstrate as we relate with others.

It is only appropriate to say the greatness is a divine mandate that we should not hesitate to actualize. If we truly appreciate and perpetuate this quality, then we can be sure that the Great I Am will congratulate us on that last day.