“Greet Mary… Greet Amplias… Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa… Greet Rufus.”— Romans 16:6, 8, 12, 13 Paul was writing from prison, facing an empire. He could have used his letter to talk policy, power, or programs. Instead, he paused to name 27 people. He didn’t say “greet the church.” He said, “Greet Mary. Greet Amplias. Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa. Greet Rufus.”

Context:

Rome was a world of ranks. Slaves, women, and common workers were invisible. But in God’s Kingdom, no one is a statistic. Paul knew what Jesus modeled: the shepherd leaves the 99 to find the

1. Every name on Paul’s list was a worker, a mother, a former slave, a believer who mattered. That list is God’s argument: People are not tools for your agenda. People ARE the agenda.When Power Forgets People, Systems Break

Both politics and preaching are callings that should understand people. We stand for them. But when power goes to our heads, we start to see people as votes, numbers, or “problems to manage.

”Story 1:

The Parents Association That Burdened Families When my son started Senior High School two years ago, the government’s “Free SHS” policy should have lifted the burden. But on the ground, it felt anything but free. We met a Parents Association executive body that had run the school for over 6 years, even though their own children had long graduated. Teachers were not part of the Association, so there was zero accountability to parents or the school head. They were levying us for everything — including GH₵120 for just an ID card. When parents raised concerns about this exploitative behavior, one of the executives replied, “When you go to Rome, you do what the Romans do.” In other words: “This is how we do things here. Take it or leave it.” That answer told us everything — people were not being served. They were being managed.

When I discovered they were illegitimate, I fought for their removal. That fight was costly for me and my son. But I had to do it. Because good policy in Accra means little if local leaders disrespect parents and make school expensive again. When people are disrespected, they remember at the ballot box.

Story 2:

ECG and the GH₵60,000 “Stone-Boiling” Bill Before the last elections, the Electricity Company of Ghana billed our church building GH₵60,000. Our meter was only on during Church service — Sundays and Friday nights. At home, they claimed we owed GH₵30,000. Even if we were using power to boil stones, it was impossible. At their office, I saw mothers crying because their lights were cut for bills they could not have used. No listening. No dignity. Just threats. When institutions harass citizens instead of serving them, the people feel it. And when people are disrespected, they remember at the ballot box.

What the Bible and Social Scientists Say About Respecting People

Biblically:

God is personal. He calls people by name — Abraham, Moses, Mary. Jesus stopped for a blind beggar in a crowd. Romans 16 shows us a church where women like Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Mary are named as “workers in the Lord.” No one is too small to be greeted. “So God has put the body together… that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other” — 1 Corinthians 12:24-25.

Sociologically:

Social scientists call this “human dignity” and “recognition.” Sociologist Axel Honneth argues that people will fight, leave, or collapse when they are not recognized as valuable. Psychologists tell us that respect is a basic human need. When customers, parents, or citizens are treated like numbers, trust breaks. When people feel seen, loyalty grows. Institutions don’t fail because of policy alone. They fail because they forgot the people.

Three Ways We Can Learn to Respect One Another

1. Name People, Don’t Number Them: Like Paul, learn names. In church, in school PTA meetings, in ECG offices — look at the person, not just the case file. A greeting costs nothing, but it tells someone: “You matter.”

2. Build Accountability to the People, Not Above Them: The SHS Parents Association failed because there was no accountability to parents or teachers. Every system that serves people must be answerable to people. Power without oversight becomes contempt. The “when you go to Rome” mindset is what happens when leaders stop answering to those they serve.

3. Measure Success by How the Least Person Is Treated: Jesus said, “Whatever you did for the least of these…” — Matthew 25:40. If the single mother, the pensioner, or the first-time parent cannot get justice at your desk, your system is broken, no matter how good your policy paper looks.

Why This Matters to You

This Thursday Morning

You are reading this on a Thursday. Maybe you feel invisible at work. Maybe you are the parent tired of paying bills that don’t make sense. Maybe you are the officer behind the counter, tempted to rush people. God sees you. Paul’s list says so. And your dignity is not negotiable.

You are not a “client,” a “parent,” or a “voter.” You are Mary. You are Amplias. You are Rufus — named, known, and necessary. If you are in power today — in church, in school, in government, or in your home — treat people like Paul treated the Romans: with names, not numbers. Because when we forget that, we lose more than influence. We lose our humanity.“Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.” — Jesse Jackson

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