Day 26: February 24
The thought for today is RESPECT.
“I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me; all I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” – Jackie Robinson
Respect doesn’t mean we’re all going to like one another from the start, nor does it mean we’ll all agree on everything. We may not agree on anything. What we can do is remember to honor the dignity of the other. From Abraham Maslow’s ‘hierarchy of needs’ to Manfred Max-Neef’s “human scale development,” one thing is very clear: everyone has a fundamental need to feel valued and understood. Unfortunately, we too often find ourselves a divided humanity.
Pulitzer prize-winning author and microbiologist Rene’ Dubos said, “Human diversity makes tolerance more than a virtue; it makes it a requirement for survival.” Dubos, the creator of the maxim ‘think globally, act locally,’ couldn’t be more right. Hatred, bigotry, and intolerance, whether in the form of words or actions, destroy community. Within the division they create lie the seeds of anger, suspicion, and violence. To paraphrase Lincoln, a community divided cannot stand.
This was our motivation for creating respect fest™ three years ago. Through music, personal storytelling, networking, workshops, and open discussion, we wanted to inspire event attendees and provide them tools to engage in positive community building through respect. It was our desire to bring together different people from all walks of life to share their music, stories, and struggles from their perspective and be heard as well as listen to others as they shared theirs. Even though we may come from different vantage points because of socio-economic class, religion, race, national heritage, political beliefs, sex, gender, sexual orientation and so forth, we can still respectfully listen and learn from one another without demeaning and dehumanizing each other.
Without basic respect for each other, there can be no community. Without community, peace becomes unstable and violence becomes an undesirable possibility. By giving basic respect to each other, we create a place where diversity is welcomed, differences are honored, and Love can flourish.
Nearly every spiritual tradition has at its heart some form of the Golden Rule: treat others the same way you would have them treat you. If we want respect, we must show respect. The teaching here is clear – we must take action first.
I will live in the spirit of namaste’ – the Divine in me sees and honors the Divine in you. I will show others the respect I desire for myself. I not merely hear them, but actively listen with heart and mind and spirit fully engaged. I will honor the inherent dignity of each person with whom I come into contact.
breathe Peace ~
Rev. Rebecca
As a special gift from the Association for Global New Thought in celebration of the Season of Nonviolence, please accept this Living Peace Mandala as another way of participating in the Season. Instructions for its use are located below the mandala. Create a shortcut for your desktop so you can access it easily. And please don’t forget to come back every day to http://revrebecca.com/wordpress/ for more inspiration and daily action that you can take to move you and your world in the direction of Peace.
