Dr. Rick Lance wrote a piece worth a look. You can read it here. For those of you unfamiliar with Dr. Lance you can check his bio here, but in short he is a leader of remarkable caliber in a day desperately short of leaders. I am glad to know him and it is a joy to contribute in some small way to the work he is doing through the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
Respect is a social commodity that has lost value in recent years. I often hear teachers in our public and private schools bemoaning this fact. Seeing it on public display in the instances Dr. Lance mentions simply serves to reinforce the disdain for others which is already rampant in our culture. Perhaps a return to civility would serve us all well.
I often tell my children, and on occasion other people's children, "It doesn't cost you anything to be polite and show respect." Maybe some of those Dr. Lance mentions should be reminded of this simple truth, in a respectful manner of course. Paul said it like this, "If you bite and ravage each other, watch out - in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?" (Galatians 5:15, The Message)
3 comments:
I've learned that respecting others begins with respecting myself. I lived many years without know how to do that. This was a good post.
Although I only skimmed through the linked article I appreciated the sentiments. Unfortunately some of my friends outside of the faith have experiences the most disrespect from Christians thinking they are in some way superior to anyone who doesn't believe whet they believe... I was recently caught up in a blog debate with some extremesly sarcastic and nasty Christians who insisted that speaking 'the truth' was more important to than living out the fruits of the spirit!
Cori,
You have identified one of the greatest obstacles to the gospel, IMESHO, un-Christlike Christians - if indeed there can be such a thing. I think there is much examination needed in how we as believers speak to a watching world.
Speaking the truth is oh so necessary as our jaded world can spot a fake like an air-brushed magazine cover girl. But how we speak the truth is critically important. Paul said something about speaking "in tongues of men and angels but not have love, I am nothing more than an irritating clanging." (1 Cor. 13:1 - with liberties)
So many who claim to follow Christ forget to do just that, follow. He who set aside His rights as God in order to clearly communicate the heart of God to us. May we all return to school to learn from Him.
Sojourner, as always your atomic language says much.
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