The Power Wey Greeting Carry

“GOOD morning o! How you dey today?”

You go don greet person like that before. No be so? As you greet the person, maybe you even shake e hand or you hug the person. People for different-different place get how them de greet, and the kind word wey them de use greet. But no matter the place wey we come from, na almost the same thing greeting de do. The truth be say, if you no greet person or you no answer greeting, e fit be like say you no care about the person, or you no get good character.

But e no easy for everybody to greet other people. Some people de shame. Other people see theirself as nothing, and so them de feel say people no go like them. E no still easy for other people to greet because of their skin color, their culture, or who they be for their community. But plenty better things fit come out of greeting, even if e dey short.

Ask yourself say: ‘Which good thing fit come out of greeting? And wetin I fit learn from Bible about greeting?’

GREET “ALL KIND OF PEOPLE”

Cornelius na the first Christian wey e no be Jew. When apostle Peter de welcome this man for congregation, e talk say: “God no de do partial.” (Acts 10:34) After, Peter write say God “want make everybody repent.” (2 Pet. 3:9) Na true say this verse concern people wey they still de learn the truth. But Peter still tell Christians say: “Respect all kind of people, love brothers for the whole world.” (1 Pet. 2:17) So, you no think say e good make we de greet people no matter their skin color, their culture, or who they be? This one na one thing we fit do if we want show say we de respect them and we love them.

Apostle Paul tell brothers and sisters for congregation say: “Make wuna welcome each other, the way Jesus Christ still welcome wuna.” (Rom. 15:7) Some brothers really encourage Paul, and Paul no fail to talk about them. For this last days, Satan de really attack servants of Jehovah. Because of this one, brothers and sisters need to hear better word so that their faith go strong. We need-am now, even pass as e be for time wey Paul dey this earth.​—Col. 4:11, ftn.; Rev. 12:12, 17.

Na true say greeting fit make person dey happy. But different-different example for Bible show say greeting fit do pass that one.

GOOD THINGS WEY GREETING FIT DO

When time reach wey Mary go carry Jesus for e belle, Jehovah send one angel make e go tell Mary. The angel talk say: “I greet you! God don really favor you. Jehovah dey with you.” Mary begin worry because e no know why the angel come. When the angel see this one, e talk say: “Make you no fear Mary, because God dey happy with you.” The angel tell Mary say God want-am make e born the Messiah. As Mary hear this one, e mind come down. So, e talk say: “See! I be slave girl for Jehovah! Make the thing wey you don talk happen to me as you talk-am.”​—Luke 1:26-38.

Na special thing for the angel to carry message from Jehovah. Even with that one, e no feel say e too big to carry message go give human being wey they born with sin. The angel greet Mary first before e talk anything. Wetin we fit learn from that example? Make we ready to greet people and encourage them. Even though say we no talk plenty things, we fit help other people with better word, and make them know say all of us na one family.

Paul know plenty people for the different-different congregation for Asia Minor and Europe. E greet plenty people for the letters wey e write. This greeting dey Romans chapter 16. Paul greet many brothers and sisters for there. E talk about one sister, e name na Phoebe. Paul tell the brothers say make they “welcome this sister in the Lord the way they suppose welcome holy people.” Paul say make them help Phoebe with anything wey e need. E greet Prisca and Aquila. E say e de thank them, and “all the congregation for different-different country still de thank them.” E still greet some people wey we no too know them today. One of them wey Paul really love na Epaenetus. And e talk about Tryphaena and Tryphosa. E say they be women wey they work hard for God. True-true, Paul greet e brothers and sisters.​—Rom. 16:1-16.

Think how the brothers and sisters glad as Paul remember them. This one really help make their love for Paul and for each other strong! As other brothers and sisters hear this greeting, e help make their faith strong too. When the way we de greet and de encourage each other show say we care about each other, e de make our friendship strong. E de help us serve Jehovah as one people.

One time as Paul de travel, e reach the seaport for Puteoli and e continue, de go Rome. Some brothers come meet Paul. When e see them, e “thank God and e heart strong.” (Acts 28:13-15) Sometimes our greeting fit be only smile or we wave person. Even that kind greeting get power. E fit help person wey e no happy.

GREETING DE OPEN ROAD TO HELP

James see as some Christians don begin do things as people of the world, and e want correct them. (Jas. 4:4) But notice how James start the letter wey e send give them:

“I be James, slave of God and Jesus Christ. This one na for the 12 tribe wey they scatter for the whole world: I greet wuna.” (Jas. 1:⁠1) The brothers and sisters understand from e greeting say, all of them be slave of God, even James. Because of this one, e no hard them to accept the advice wey James give them. True-true, when person put body down and greet other people, e fit open road to talk about serious things.

Better greeting need to come from our heart and make e show say we really care, even if e short. Make we de greet even if e be like say people no value-am. (Matt. 22:39) One day, one sister for Ireland come Kingdom Hall just when meeting want start. As e de hurry enter, one brother turn, smile and tell the sister say: “Welcome. I dey happy to see you.” The sister no talk, e just sit-down.

After some weeks, the sister come meet the brother and tell the brother say e don de struggle with one problem for house. E talk say: “I almost no come Kingdom Hall that evening because I no dey happy at all. I no too remember the things wey we learn that day, but I no forget your greeting. E make me know say people care about me. Thank you.”

The brother no even know say that short greeting really help. The brother talk say: “When e come tell me how that short greeting make e mind come down, I glad say I try to greet the sister. E sweet me say the sister like the thing wey I do.”

King Solomon write say: “Throw your bread for water, because after plenty days you go see-am again.” (Eccl. 11:1) Our greeting dey important to people, especially our Christian brothers and sisters. If we always get this one for mind, we and other people go gain. So make we always de greet people because of the power wey greeting carry.