An Essential Element of Peace
September 21, 2024
Respect.
Respect.
Respect for each other.
Respect for each and every human.
Respect that leads to mutual action.
Respect that brings out the best in each other.
The heart of peace is respect for each other.
Conflicts come and go. With respect we can work with each other to solve them.
Problems come and go. With respect we can deal with them.
Life can be hard. Life can be lonely.
With respect, we actually have our place, we have our friends and family.
That is peace.
Peace is not an absence of conflict.
Slavery is not peace.
Oppression is not peace.
Forced conformity is not peace.
Each of these is quietly, subtly, dehumanizingly violent.
The absence of respect, no matter how unintentional, is violence.
In this moment, choose to respect others.
In this moment, remember every person deserves respect.
And empower others, as you hope to receive empowerment, to, no matter how difficult, bring peace to all.
The focus on respect is one in which I totally agree. There is a part that I do see missing. It is accountability. I and everyone can respect someone as they are a creation of God. Like God, I need to hold that person accountable for his/her actions and beliefs. I find if you start with respect for the person, most will respond positively. There are those who do not respect others out of the box, i.e. they have sinful hearts. When that happens, I do not respect them but am cautious of their motivations going forward. I speak this as a person who was raised where respect was valued and honored.