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A son took his old father to a restaurant for an evening dinner. His father, being very old and weak, while eating, dropped food on his shirt and pants.

The mess that he made disgusted the other diners in the restaurant, while his son remained calm. After they were finished eating, the son, who was not embarrassed at all, quietly took him to the washroom, wiped off the food particles, removed the stains, combed his hair and fitted his glasses firmly. When they came out, the entire restaurant was watching them in dead silence, not able to grasp how someone could embarrass themselves publicly like that.

The son settled the bill and started to leave the eatery with his father. An old man amongst the diners called out to the son and uttered the words, “You have left a lesson for every son and hope for every father.” The restaurant went silent.

Paul writes, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with … the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1, ESV). As part of our stewardship responsibility on earth, we are required to care for each other.

We are to show compassion and have empathy, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

—North American Division Stewardship Ministries