Huwag kayong gumawa ng anuman dahil sa paghahangad ninyong maging tanyag; sa halip bilang tanda ng pagpapakumbaba, ituring ninyong higit ang iba kaysa inyong mga sarili.

Mga Taga-Filipos 2:3

Pagbaba mula sa air-conditioned car, walang laman ang isip ni Elvira kundi ang ganda ng bago niyang shoes and signature bag. Dressed to impress siya today for a … cocktail party? Ay, sa church nga pala ang punta niya. Taas-noo siyang nag-enter sa foyer. Sinalubong siya ng isang usher. “Good morning, ma’am!” bati ng medyo may edad na usher. Nakasalamin at manipis ang buhok nito, at ang sweet ng smile. Mala-princess ang lakad ni Elvira sa aisle habang sinusundan ang usher. “Ang bagal namang maglakad ng usher na ito,” naisip pa niya.

May nasalubong silang isang matikas na lalaking nakamilitary uniform. Huminto ito sa harap ng usher at sumaludo. “Good morning, General,” and sabi ng sundalo. “You don’t have to do that,” pabulong na sabi ni General. General? Ang usher niya ay isang tunay na general?

She could not believe it. Namutla si Elvira at nanlamig. Hindi niya malaman kung sasaludo rin siya sa General, magba-bow or hahalik sa kamay. She just froze. Ni hindi na nakapag-thank you. She tried to make sense of what happened. How could such a man of position serve as a lowly usher? Tinawag pa nga akong ma’am?

Napahiya si Elvira kasi she realized how she was so full of herself. Naalala niya how she would look down on people just because they wore the wrong clothes or spoke with a thick accent. That’s wrong! What right do I really have to even think that way?

The preaching that morning drove the point home more clearly. It was about the apostle Paul who was born of noble birth, a citizen of the most powerful empire of that century, a prestigious member of the religious community. When he encountered Christ, he repented and served God with humility. And that morning, the general showed how to serve humbly. Napaiyak na lamang nang tahimik si Elvira sa kanyang upuan, nagsisisi dahil sa kanyang pagmamataas.