Each person has worth 7 September 2015
Traveling outside of the Garden recently, I followed another
driver for a mile or so, intending to turn right at the next traffic
light. The driver in front of me
blinkered that she was also turning right at that light, but didn’t slow down
very much until, in the turn, she came to a sudden halt. She then proceeded an inch at a time, and I
could see that a pedestrian was crossing the intersection through her intended
path.
First of all, she almost ran him over. Secondly, she moved her car right behind him impatiently
willing him to get out of her way as quickly as possible. From my viewpoint, it appeared that she would
have cheerfully run him over if that weren’t a criminal action.
I looked at the man crossing the road. He was old (probably my age) with gray
frazzled hair (like me) and a beard, old clothing and a dirty backpack,
possibly a homeless man, but maybe not.
The driver in front of me showed absolutely no consideration for his
right to cross the road (he had the right of way), or actually (it appeared) for
his right to even exist. Geesch.
What is wrong with this picture? What has happened to the concept of respect
for one another? How would she feel if someone
had treated her the same way?
I’ve noticed that a little respect goes a long way toward
building harmony in any circumstance. Showing
respect for another person means that you demonstrate an awareness that you
have no more “rights” to anything than the other person does. No more at all. We are all individually created by the same
big God. No one is better, no one is
lesser.
Respect doesn’t mean that you like the other person, nor
that you agree with them, nor that you feel safe around
them. It truly simply means that you
acknowledge the other’s right to exist, that he has some measure of worth, and
that you have nothing more important to attribute to yourself than this person
in who’s shoes you have not walked.
In the Garden, each person has worth. Each person has been formed deliberately by
God, and has been given a good purpose and a good plan. Each person is loved and is capable of loving
others in a healthy way. This is why I
prefer to live in the Garden.
“But you
are a chosen people [those who live in the Garden
of God], a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who
called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a
people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but
now you have received mercy.”
Therefore… “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for
evil; live as God’s slaves.
Show proper respect to everyone, love
the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor
[and those who have been put in place of authority over you, whether you want
to or not.]”
1
Peter 2: 9 and 10, 16 and 17 New International Version of the Bible
