A Scout is taught to be faithful and reverent towards his God and his faith. He is faithful towards his religious duties, and he respects and fervently defends the beliefs of others.

As a young man, being reverent doesn’t mean all that much. It amounts to attending church with your family, going to Sunday school and learning about your faith, and paying respect to your country and flag. Beyond that, it didn’t have that much meaning.

As we get older, those core principles and concepts seem to become more important and real. To me, as I reflect on reverence, it’s more about how spiritual you are in your own life, and the importance and respect you place on your core beliefs. For me, I care very much for my family, my friends, my faith and my country. Being reverent to me means maintaining the proper focus and respect towards those things in our life that deserve our respect and attention. Being reverent means balancing your life, being fun and sometimes silly, but simultaneously being serious when it comes to the reverence towards the important things.

Whether you believe in God or not, you are surrounded by plenty that deserves a reverent attitude. Sometimes, it’s the little moments that mean a lot.

It’s the moment before a meal when you silently thank your maker that you’re fortunate enough to have food in front of you.

It’s the awe and respect you feel for the world around you when you stare out over the Grand Canyon or Niagra Falls and contemplate the beauty and awesome complexity of nature.

It’s the the solidarity and solemn pride you feel when you stand tall in front of our flag and pledge your allegiance to our great nation, a nation that allows us the freedom to be who and what we are.

This, to me, is reverence. It comes in many forms, but it makes up the core of who and what we are. Without reverence, you have nothing. You stand for nothing, and will therefore fall for anything. The reverent person is a rock in the turmoil of this world. The Scouts taught us this half a lifetime ago, but it took me this long to see it and appreciate it.

I’m thankful for that.

-Z