August 21

August 21

Emblems of Friendship

We express our friendship with gifts.


Proverbs 17
8 A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

Bribery is a bad term in our culture. However, this is not the same thing as used here. In this case the bribe spoken of is a gift. The giving of gifts to show friendship what I believe is implied. We do that all the time. When we visit someone we take a gift. Business persons give a token or gift when they visit potential customers. We express our friendship with gifts. When we are entertained we take a gift to our host which is often a token of the region from which we are visiting or something representative of the person who is hosting us. This is the sense in which this proverb is being used. It is not speaking of a bribe for reciprocation but a gift of friendship and appreciation. In this sense, this is not manipulation for a special or specific favor. It is an emblematic act symbolizing friendship and opening that door even wider by demonstrating a generous spirit.