As a child, growing up in a religious home, I would often find myself in church on Sundays. During the Orthodox Christian liturgy there are a number of times where bowing occurs. For example, at one point the priest (facing the congregation) asks for everyone’s forgiveness. He bows while asking and the congregation bows in return. Of course, bowing is common in many (or maybe all) religions. But, what about bowing in other settings?
In my limited historical research, it appears that bowing was once a common greeting everywhere. In the West, it seems to have only survived as a head nod and a gesture to so-called royalty. (By the way, I’m not a royalist.) I’ve travelled in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong and I was always pleased to see bowing in some everyday situations.
The current pandemic is changing how people interact with each other. With that in mind, I would like to suggest that we bring back bowing. See an old friend on the street? Start your interaction by bowing to each other. Just finished a meeting at work? That’s a perfect time for everyone to bow. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t still situations where you should shake hands, fist-bump, high-five or hug. My point is to consider if a bow is more appropriate first.
Another reason I like bowing is that it is a natural expression of mutual respect. (One of the reasons, I’m not a royalist is that respect is only supposed to flow one way when you bow to a “royal”.) Along with everyone working together to keep the world healthy, being respectful to each other will make the world a better place, too.
