Respect

 

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:8-13 ESV).

 

Horton Hears a Who! is a children's book written and illustrated by Theodor Seuss Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss. It was published in 1954 and tells the story of Horton the Elephant and his adventures saving Whoville, a tiny planet located on a small speck of dust, from the animals who mock him. These animals attempt to steal and burn the speck of dust, so Horton goes to great lengths to save Whoville from being incinerated. "A person's a person, no matter how small" is the most popular line from Horton Hears a Who! and also serves as the major moral theme that Dr. Seuss conveys to his audience. Horton endures harassment to care for and ensure the safety of the Whos, who represent the insignificant.

 

Mutual respect is essential for relationships wherever we may find ourselves. This is especially true in the home and the church. In our reading today, the Apostle Peter calls us to “be like-minded” and “love one another,” calling for sympathy, compassion, and humility. It is a very easy search to find the synonym for these words with “respect.” At least in part, respect calls for relating in ways that acknowledge our identity as image-bearers of God and recipients of his divine love.

 

Peter reminds us that we should not expect to be harmed for doing good. But if that happens, we can count it as a blessing of honor. After all, Jesus suffered for doing good as well. We are to explain why we act the way we do in the light of our confession that Jesus is Lord. But the manner of our explanation must show respect for our questioner along with a gentleness that echoes the love of the Savior. It means letting our actions speak louder than our words. We all could do a better job of showing this gentle regard for others, even those we vehemently disagree with. After all, “a person’s a person, no matter how small.” God loves each one so much He sent His only begotten Son to die for their sins (cf. John 3:16). Can we do less than Him…