“… righteousness has never been a matter of following rules
but of honoring relationships, with aliens as well as kin, with enemies as well
as allies.”
Barbara
Brown Taylor, The Seeds of Heaven, p.
7
__________________________________________
What does it mean to honor relationships in these days
What does it mean for conservatives to honor those they
could so easily demean and call a “snowflake”?
What does it mean for liberals to honor those
conservative people
they are tempted to call ignorant, or foolish?
What does it mean for a person to honor the humanity of a
ragged family on the border
even if one believes they have not followed the “rules”?
How does a person honor another person when that person’s
sexual orientation seems to violate their concept of what is acceptable to God?
For me, how do I honor people who believe that the
current political reality is good and Godly, when I believe it is not good and
far from Godly?
So many things can get in the way of our ability to honor
the person in front of us
race
social status
educational level
creed
ideology
nationality
gender
sexual orientation
culture
there are so many things that are barriers
so many things that twist and turn our perceptions
making connection tenuous
and difficult
and then we add in “the rules”
the things we think it important to do
or not do
those strange proscriptions and prescriptions
that define how we live
We think those rules should define how we honor our
neighbors
And perhaps define who our neighbors are
But in reality our honor of neighbor should in some ways
Define how we interact with “the rules”
It is love, and respect
Our deep appreciation for the Sacred presence in all that
should
Shape our worship (You shall worship)
Shape our words
Shape our behaviors
Think how often in our attempts to honor God
We diminish and demean other people
The rules may only make sense
Will only make sense
And will only work
If we honor others
If we see them, and treat them
As children of God
Precious souls
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