No Respect

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I just watched an episode of "Leverage".  What is it, I wondered, that attracts to many people, including me, to the 'Robin Hood' sort of outlawry?  And I came up with a provisional answer.

The outlaw really has zero respect of everyone with power. The person with power and riches is portrayed as someone who cheated, lied, stole, or manipulated other in order to get what he/she has.  In addition, he/she did a nasty thing to someone we know, or who hired us, and we can absolutely know it even if we cannot prove it.

At least, that's the assumption made by the Robin Hoods of fiction and fact.

By the way, nations behave in the same way.  It is understood by most of the world the the USA is rich, evil, greedy for more, and willing to get it on the backs of the poor (or with the dead bodies of the poor) in the rest of the world.  Any goodwill we accrued by stopping the Nazis and the warlords of Japan has long since evaporated.

How do we feel, being lumped in with "Americans" (if you are a citizen of the USA)?  If you have been laid off because of corporate greed, or had your home repossessed because of banking incompetence, or lost your child to drugs because of empire building gangs, you probably do not feel rich and powerful.  "They" are rotten and you deserve to "get them."  Right?

Then along comes Jesus who tells us to agape' our enemy, our neighbor, our fellow disciple, our God and even ourselves. 

As I remind us from time to time, the Greek word "agape'" as portrayed in I Corinthians 13:4-8a can be better described as a "profound, compassionate respect" than any sort of gooey emotional warm feeling.

I think we all crave respect, from the gang-banger in the projects to the mob boss and his hired goons to the business person, the employee doing menial labor and the school teacher.  Could this be a major part of what Paul referred to in Romand 3:23 when he wrote that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God"?  Haven't we all failed to respect someone at some time or other? 

Maybe . . . wonder with me here a moment . . . maybe seeking a just outcome from the rich and powerful who abuse their wealth and power by abusing other (failing to respect others) is a way of showing respect for them?

What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know.