Cover Other's Nakedness

I have not dropped any ink yet, this year, so allow me to say Happy New Year. I trust your year has started well  and that you are hopeful about the year ahead.

Today I would like to take a moment to reflect on Genesis 9: 22-23 that reckons:

"Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked".

As I read through the verses, I couldn't help but draw similarities about how sometimes as a society, we do not so well at covering one another's nakedness. How often do we broadcast other people's failings to the entire world? Perhaps with the expectation that it will make us feel better? How often do we watch people we know go through embarrassing moments, but rather than helping them, we gossip to other friends about how so and so is this and that nowadays? 

Our modern day version of Ham is to some extent depicted in how we use our phones. When we see an incident, rather than going forward to support the person in need, we take photos and share to all social media sites. Reminds me of a story of the journalist who was covering some news in a time of drought and famine, and rather than giving a dying child food, he decided to capture the moment when the vulture was snatching the child, this was a perfect shot that earned him accolades world over, until someone asked him why it didn't cross his mind to help the child. Unfortunately, he committed suicide at the realization of what he had done.

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

As the year begins, I beseech you to cover others nakedness. Don't expose their shame and shortcomings to the entire world. If a friend is in trouble, just help them. Drop the phone, no need to capture their moment of weakness, just help them. Simple.