Published: July 11, 2026
Recent public conversations about an encounter between children participating in the Peace
Through Fair Play Camp, organized by the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, and Liberia’s Senate have sparked passionate reactions across the country.
According to media reports, a disagreement emerged during the children’s planned visit to the Senate involving protocol and the use of the title “Honorable” when addressing lawmakers. The disagreement resulted in the children not having the expected engagement with members of the Senate.
Regardless of where one stands on the details of the incident, this moment presents Liberia with an opportunity for deeper reflection.
The question before us is not simply whether elected officials deserve respect or whether citizens have the right to question authority.
The deeper question is:
What does honorable leadership truly require of those who hold public office, and what responsibilities do citizens have toward the institutions that govern them?
Respect for Authority Matters
Let us begin by acknowledging an important truth: institutions matter.
A functioning democracy requires respect for constitutional offices and the people entrusted to serve in them. Public officials are elected representatives, and the offices they occupy carry significance beyond the individuals who hold them.
Before I go further, I want to say clearly that no disregard is intended toward our Muslim family, or toward Liberians who follow other minority religious, spiritual, or traditional practices. I recognize and honor the diversity of faith and belief within the country.
I am responding here primarily through Christian teachings because many of the public comments I have read on this issue draw on Christian scripture, especially verses about respecting authority, such as “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” Since I am more deeply grounded in the Christian faith, I feel comfortable leaning on those teachings while also comparing them with broader African philosophy and moral wisdom.
Christian teachings recognize the importance of respecting authority. Jesus said:
“Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
– Matthew 22:21
The Apostle Paul also wrote in Romans 13:1 that governing authorities serve a role in maintaining social order.
Respecting an office does not necessarily mean agreeing with every decision made by the person occupying it. It means recognizing that institutions are essential to a democratic society. Titles and protocols often exist because societies create ways to acknowledge responsibility, representation, and civic order.
However, Scripture and African wisdom teach us that authority is not only about receiving honor.
Authority is also about carrying responsibility.
The Meaning of Honor: More Than a Title
The word “honorable” carries two important meanings.
First, it can be a formal title attached to an office.
Second, it describes a quality of character.
These two meanings should ideally exist together.
A person may hold an honorable office, but true honor is demonstrated through conduct, humility, and service.
Jesus repeatedly challenged leaders who focused on status while neglecting the people they were called to serve.
In Matthew 23:11–12, Jesus said:
“The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Jesus did not reject leadership.
He transformed the meaning of leadership.
In His teaching, greatness was not measured by how many people recognized your title, but by how many people you served.
When Leadership Becomes Service
In Mark 10:42–45, Jesus told His disciples:
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
This was a radical statement because many societies associate leadership with power, privilege, and recognition.
Jesus introduced a different model:
Leadership is a responsibility.
Leadership is sacrifice.
Leadership is service.
The person with authority carries a greater obligation to demonstrate patience, humility, and compassion.
Children and the Moral Test of Society
One of the most important lessons from this discussion is the place of children in our national priorities.
Children should never become caught in conflicts created by adults.
Regardless of disagreements over protocol, titles, or procedure, children represent Liberia’s future. Their experiences with national institutions shape how they understand citizenship, democracy, and leadership.
When Jesus’ disciples attempted to prevent children from approaching Him, Jesus responded:
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them.”
Mark 10:14
This was not a small moment in Scripture.
Jesus demonstrated that children were worthy of attention, access, and dignity.
A society reveals its values by how it treats those who have the least power.
African Wisdom: Compassion and Responsibility
African societies have long emphasized that leadership is inseparable from responsibility toward the community.
Across many African traditions, children are not viewed as belonging only to individual families; they are part of the larger community’s responsibility.
This is reflected in the philosophy of Ubuntu, often summarized as:
“I am because we are.”
The message is that human beings exist in relationship with one another. The well-being of one person affects the well-being of the entire community.
Liberian cultures, like many African societies, have traditionally valued respect for elders and leaders. But respect has always been connected to expectations of wisdom, protection, fairness, and service.
An elder is not honored merely because of age.
A leader is not honored merely because of position.
Honor is strengthened when authority is exercised for the benefit of others.
Compassion Before Conflict
There is a powerful African moral principle that when someone is in danger, the first responsibility is to save them before addressing correction afterward.
The meaning is simple:
Protect first.
Restore first.
Preserve dignity first.
Resolve the disagreement afterward.
This wisdom does not suggest that rules and traditions do not matter.
Rather, it reminds us that values must be placed in the correct order.
Human dignity must remain at the center of our institutions.
Respect and Accountability Must Walk Together
Liberia does not have to choose between respecting authority and demanding accountability.
A mature democracy requires both.
Citizens should respect institutions.
Leaders should respect the people they serve.
Officials should be treated with dignity.
Citizens should be heard with dignity.
Protocol has a place.
But compassion also has a place.
The challenge before us is not to destroy institutions or dismiss traditions. The challenge is to ensure that institutions reflect the highest values they were created to uphold.
A Call to Liberia’s Leaders and Citizens
This moment offers Liberia an opportunity for national reflection.
To Liberian leaders:
May honor be matched with humility.
May authority be matched with service.
May titles be matched with responsibility.
To citizens:
May our criticism be guided by truth, fairness, and respect.
May we protect institutions while holding individuals accountable.
May we remember that democracy is not only about structures and offices. It is about people. The children who traveled from Liberia’s counties to learn about their government represent the future we all share.
Their hopes should remind us of the purpose of leadership itself.
African wisdom teaches us that a community is measured by how it protects its vulnerable.
Jesus Christ teaches us:
“The greatest among you must be your servant.”
Matthew 23:11
Perhaps the greatest lesson from this moment is this:
Honor is not proven by the respect we demand. Honor is revealed by the service we provide. May Liberia continue building a culture where authority is respected, humility is celebrated, children are protected, and leadership is measured not by titles but by the lives it lifts.
Author Bio
Priscilla Janneh Mah-Belloh is a social justice advocate, writer, and founder of A New Day Media Development and Advocacy Organization, a platform focused on advancing gender equality, human dignity, and community empowerment through advocacy, research, media engagement, and public dialogue. She is the host of A New Day Conversation, a platform that explores issues of social justice, leadership, culture, and human rights. A Humphrey Fellow and Sol Plaatje Fellow, Priscilla is passionate about amplifying voices, preserving African narratives, and creating conversations that inspire positive social change.
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