Wednesday 18 February 2009

Love vs. A Gentleman

A post on another blog reminded me today of a funny story I heard a couple of weekends ago.  The boys public (private if you are in the USA) school system in England is a reasonably famous elitist system. A vicar at a church a friend of mine attends told how, when he was visiting one such school, a headmaster told him that to tutor boys in how to become a gentleman they would use Paul's Corinthians 13 replacing the word LOVE with  GENTLEMAN

So:-
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

BECOMES

A GENTLEMAN is patient, A GENTLEMAN is kind. He does not envy, he does not boast, he is not proud. 5 He is not rude, he is not self-seeking, he is not easily angered, he keeps no record of wrongs.  A GENTLEMAN does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  HE always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Quite a nice idea for the most part but when you get to the end you meet a little problem:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

BECOMES

And now these three remain: faith, hope and A GENTLEMEN. But the greatest of these is A GENTLEMAN.

Clearly humility is not on the agenda here! 


10 comments:

Bernice said...

Hi Squelly,

I love your blog and all you've done on Lourdes. This post as well, such a unique way of putting the Gentleman in it.

SQUELLY said...

Thanks so much! It was kind of you to drop by and leave a comment. God Bless!

Cathy Adamkiewicz said...

But so charming!
Thanks for visiting me - it's a pleasure to meet you as well.
Your kind comments were so appreciated. Our "little ones" are certainly praying for us - what a gift.

SQUELLY said...

I really enjoyed my visit! Thanks for stopping by here and leaving a comment. Amen to your words - to have a brother watching out for me from heaven is a wonderful thing.

Tracy said...

oh my gosh, that is so different, I don't know what I would think as a parent if my sons were being told this, I think I like it until as you said, the end is an issue, I learn something new and interesting each day:)

SQUELLY said...

I know- it is pretty odd! It sounded a reasonable idea to me at first until that end bit cropped up. No idea who thought of it but it doesn't quite work does it? Still it is slightly amusing and, as you say, food for thought ;-)

Debbie said...

It is a great idea until you get to the end! I think I have met some gentlemen who adhered to that.

SQUELLY said...

Haha! me too!

Aubrey said...

Wow! That is a very neat idea! I might have to incorporate that into the raising of our boys.

SQUELLY said...

It would be nice to meet a few more chaps who had been tutored that way ;-)

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