Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. Prov.16:31, NRSV

Gray hair may have been a crown of glory in bygone times, but today it’s something to cover up. It’s an indication of aging, and aging in this youth-obsessed culture is something to avoid at great if not all cost. Along with covering the gray on our heads, we can smooth out lines and wrinkles with botox or surgery. When exercise isn’t enough to combat gravity’s pull on the body, we can get a flat tummy through liposuction. We can fill in the places age hollows out. If we can’t turn back the clock, staying thirty-something forever, modern medicine offers the appearance of non-aging.

I can understand why people take steps to look younger. Older people are considered less valuable, their opinions and ideas discounted rather than appreciated. Experience is valuable to a point, but a drawback when the years add up beyond a certain number. No matter how righteous a life, getting on in years makes us less valuable in this image driven society.

So how do we age gracefully in a time when aging is a social negative? We do those things that honor our aging bodies, minds, and hearts rather than trying to outwit the aging process. There are as many ways to do that as there are people. Keep the gray or color it away, whichever honors our current ages and stages. We are beloved children of God, unique in this universe. Let’s live fully into whatever time brings.