Tuesday; January 20
There is
going to be a lot of talk about civil rights and social responsibilities this
week – and there probably should be.
While we have made some strides in the way we think about those who are
different than us, we still have a long way to go. In all honesty, this is not just an American
thing or even a 21st Century thing … it is a human thing. As long as there have been different types of
people there have been prejudices. Now,
while we should watch the way we think of others, I think that one thing we can
do is to make sure that we protect the way people think about us. No, we can’t control the innate thoughts
others have about us, I believe that we can do ourselves good or harm by the
lives we choose to live. If we live
quality lives, it is going to be harder for people to look down on us; but, if
we live in morally questionable ways, we just add fuel to the fire. There are always going to be people who are
looking for ways to criticize or condemn others – let’s do our best not to give
them justifiable reasons.
Centuries ago, the Apostle Paul
challenged a young minister, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness,
but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity,
show yourself an example of those who believe.” (I Timothy
4:12). Are we living lives that make
prejudice and bigotry hard to justify?
When we do, we just might make headway on getting the respect we want.
Think About It!