I believe that one of my greatest challenges is to understand other people whose beliefs differ from mine. At a simplistic level, it is not a difference of right or wrong, it is just “different”. I know only what I know, so anything new or different is uncommon to me. I believe that in most situations I am open-minded and non-judgmental, however I am quite aware that I am not perfect. I have to consciously be aware of my words and actions and more importantly, my thought process. It is very easy in today’s society to judge others. Having faith and knowing the Word of God greatly helps me to be humble and have grace.
Because we were all unique in nature, it is evident we are going to differ. Just think about the differences between how God created men and women. It is unrealistic to think that people will all think the same way or believe the same things. Therefore, I think that communication is a critical skill in learning about others. Learning about others values, interests, and beliefs require listening with a nonjudgmental ear. Through communication, we can learn a lot about others, and in the process learn more about ourselves.
Lastly, respecting others and their worth can be extremely difficult to do. One thing that I think a lot about, which may seem trivial is the Golden Rule. Scripture states, "So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12), "And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them." (Luke 6:31). While reflecting on the Golden Rule, all things therefore that you want people to do to you, do thus to them, it can be concluded that it is really about respect. It is our responsibility to respect people, whose beliefs differ from our own, respecting people who think differently than we do. Whose customs, traditions, or values differ from ours. Respect at a core level is about looking past what people do, but rather at who they are, or who they are in the process of becoming. The Golden Rule is based on one basic principle: that all human beings have dignity and that the feelings of others should always be paramount.
This bible verse helps to keep these concepts in perspective for me.
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2 New International Version
Posts
Good post, Amber. I totally agree with your thoughts about respecting others. I feel it should be foremost in our mind and drive our intentions and interactions with other people. As you revealed so well, the Bible commands that all people, and especially Christians, respects others regardless of their beliefs and backgrounds; furthermore, often times our level of respect for others is reciprocated.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ben...it's a good post. I'm going to put a "fly in the ointment" though...food for thought. You said:
ReplyDelete"Learning about others values, interests, and beliefs require listening with a nonjudgmental ear. Through communication, we can learn a lot about others, and in the process learn more about ourselves."
While I agree with the last part, I'm not sure about the first. We really can learn a lot about others and ourselves by listening. I also believe that it is nearly impossible to do so without being judgemental. It is human nature to evaluate what we hear...almost immediately. We listen to someone speak either at the pulpit, in conversation or at a conference and we begin to immediately evalute the content of the message as it relates to our own belief structure. Now...if we are as smart as we know Cohort 4 to be, we will not act on that judgement until we have further evidence about the individual.
First, my thought is you are right. I totally agree. Then, I think, is it rally "nearly impossible to so so without being judgemental"?
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to think about this and put my thoughts together...I'll get back to you on this. :)
Great discussion. I would say that being judgemental is an act. Evaluating what you hear or even perceive about someone is being human. The question is, then do we act on it...do we make judgements about someone based on our perceptions? Or do we give the benfit to our differences.
ReplyDeleteAmber, you brought remembrance to the simpliest things in life. Those things that we should have learned as early as kindergarten. I remember my mother teaching us at a very young age the golden rule. It has stuck with me throughout my life. God also tells us that it he who judges the actions and the sins of all mankind. It is not our job to judge. We have the a full enough scope of anyone's situation to make a fair judgement. God is the only one who know the commission of our hearts and therefore can only be in a rightful position to judge.
ReplyDeleteWhen I am training principals to observe teachers, we acknowledge up front that the first reaction is always judgmental, whether it is on personal attributes, professional actions, or both. What we agree to is that we know it is our nature to judge. It is what you DO with the judgment that makes the difference. Is it used to label and separate, or is it the first step in understanding and supporting?
ReplyDeleteAmber absolutely beautiful!! What struck me the most about everything you said was Ephesians 4:2-Walking with an humble, patient spirit. I think I am especially being molded in this area by God as of late.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with everyone.......my perspective is that the non-judging ear is to take the differences as is...rather than imposing my beliefs when understanding theirs. However, it is only natural to compare the two, as they are almost always different in one aspect or another...again....only human......this is a very thought provoking post.......Thanks for the brain work...=))
ReplyDelete