3-29-2020 Respect Shows Character

Quote: “Show respect even to people who don’t deserve it.  Respect is a reflection of your character, not theirs.”

With all that is going on in the world, especially on social media (which I am a huge user of and advocate for), we are getting bolder and bolder with sharing our feelings and opinions behind screens.  I have never before experienced such disrespect from politicians, for politicians, from the general public, for professionals, and from my own mind.  We all think our ideas are bulletproof and what is best for the nation.  When I noticed this week that someone’s response to one of my very well intentioned posts got me all hot and bothered, I knew it was time to take a day away from the nonsense.  I needed to do a real “heart check”, as we like to call it in the Zieroff house.

Yes, God created us to have opinions.  It says over and over in the Bible to stand up for the poor, oppressed, etc.  In fact that is one of the writing units we teach in American education, yes to even kindergarteners.  We carefully teach them how to put into words how they feel about something, to state their opinion, and to list the evidence to persuade someone else.  But NEVER in that unit does it say to demean, tear down, cuss out, call names, or have evil thoughts about someone who doesn’t agree with your point of view.  Teachers out there, if I missed that lesson in the unit, please let me know!

My message this week is plain and simple.  We need to take a lesson from peaceful people from the past who didn’t agree with their current situations.  Rosa Parks didn’t get on that bus, throw a hissy fit, hit the bus driver over her head with her purse, and call the white people at the front of the bus any names.  Anne Frank wrote in her private diary (I know, I read excerpts from it) about her miseries against Hitler in that attic instead of making all of her family listen to her distastes.  And out of all the gazillions stories we have of Jesus in the Bible and from all the gazillion witnesses who were there, it says he only got angry TWICE.  I can however picture Jesus scrubbing Judas’ feet just a little bit harder than the rest of his friends that one night! (If you’re not familiar with the story, he washed all of his closest friends’ feet, knowing that one of them was going to betray him and turn him into the soldiers to be killed.)

Perfect strangers heard false rumors about Jesus, then joined the cause and ridiculed him, spit on him, and taunted him.  His reply?  “I can’t believe this flippin’ government!”  No, no, no.  From Jesus came the humblest reply possible.  It says in Luke 23:34, “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.'”

Having an opinion and showing respect while stating it – without name calling – really defines the kind of person someone is deep down inside.  When we talk evil about others – and that’s anyone….the grocery story clerk, our child’s teacher, our spouse, our mother, our boss, our pastor, or a world leader – it shows our true character.  Not theirs.  Let their actions speak for themselves, as well as ours.

And then eventually, I believe we can each end up being a little bit more like Rosa or Anne or Jesus.  We will be able to show respect to those who DON’T even deserve it.  You can show respect for someone and not agree with them.  The best example of this is our children!  We teach them to show respect to us as parents, as well as others.  We shouldn’t just turn a magical age and all of a sudden feel justified to spout horrible things about others.

You will easily be able to find the people who are hurting others and defaming other’s characters.  Pray for them.  But don’t join them.  Future generations are listening and watching our reactions to others very, very, very carefully.