The world's greatest precept for showing respect

I recently attended a meeting where respect was the subject. Respecting others, respecting oneself set the tone for the meeting. It was an educational setting attended mostly by adult Caucasians.

In Birmingham, Alabama last weekend, sponsors had a R.E.S.P.E.C.T Rally for children going back-to-school. It was held in a park. Over 3,000 children attended, reports said.

RESPECT is an acronym for Respect Every Single Person Ever Created Today, and it stresses core values of respecting oneself enough to set a goal of finishing school, apologizing when you are wrong and dressing appropriately.

It was predominately attended by African American children and their families or guardians.

Have our families and institutions become so callous that rallies and meetings need to be held to teach one of the world's greatest precepts? Apparently families cannot teach respect any longer. Maybe the Church has missed teaching the precept of respect?

All over the world there exists a simple precept that has the power to end conflict and banish strife. It is the Golden Rule, a key concept in many philosophies and spiritualities that admonishes us to "do unto others as we would have them do unto us."

Its meaning is quite crystal clear: treat others only in ways that you would want to be treated.

However, the golden rule is not always easy to follow. It can be a challenge to honor others as we wish to be honored. Yet, when we do so, we bestow a gift of loving kindness on our fellow human beings. And, in honoring others, we honor ourselves.
It is as uncomplicated a tenet as one could wish for. When we live by it, harming another person becomes nearly impossible. The Golden Rule is rooted in pure empathy and does not compel us to perform any specific act. Rather, it gently guides us to never let our actions toward others be out of harmony with our own desires.

The Golden Rule asks us to be aware of the effect our words and actions may have on another person and to imagine ourselves in their place. It calls on us to ask ourselves how we would feel if what we were about to do were directed toward us. And yet this rule invites us to do more than not harm others.

It suggests that we look for opportunities to behave toward others in the same ways that we would want others to act toward us. Showing compassion, being considerate of others, caring for the less fortunate, and giving generously are what can result when you follow the Golden Rule.
Adhering to the Golden Rule whenever possible can have a positive effect on the world around you because kindness begets kindness. In doing so, you generate a flow of positive energy that enfolds everyone you encounter in peace, goodwill, and harmony.

Everything we do and say in the presence of our children makes an impression on them. We may think we can get away with swearing or gossiping in front of them when they can't talk, but we have forgotten that just because they can't talk doesn't mean they don't hear. They are sensitive sponges absorbing their environment in ways we will never know.

Even if the words don't make sense to them, they make an impression, as does the energy behind the words. We honor our children when we acknowledge that they are fully present from the very beginning and when we offer ourselves to them in ways that model the best of what humans can be.
When we bring a child into the world, a great welling up of love and hope fills our hearts. We unequivocally want the very best for our children, and we want to be the best parents a child could ever want. We begin to see ourselves and our lives in a different light, and things that seemed okay before we had a child suddenly reveal themselves as problematical. This can lead to a somewhat mincing review of our habits of speech, thought and feeling, our relationships, and our physical habits. We may feel that we have put ourselves under a microscope, which can be stressful. However, it can also lead to a great healing of our own unresolved issues and, in turn, it enables us to be good parents to our children. Talking to other conscious parents about this life transformation can be very helpful.
Our desire to become the best we can be is often strongest at the very beginning of a child's life and sometimes loses its intensity as we grow accustomed to their presence. However, it is never too late to look at ourselves and notice whether we are offering our best to our children. That original welling up of love and hope can inspire us throughout our lives to be the best we can be.

While some people will challenge the idea that respect should be taught in the home at a child's early age; it's nigh impossible when the child comes from a broken home, where there is only one parent, where the parents neither know how to teach nor care because they haven't learned the Golden Rule themselves.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. rallies have a place in our society today.

If we cannot teach it at home or in Church, then teach it in a park.

Respect is not meant to be taught to only one race of people, but to all races across the face of our earth -- red, yellow, black and white.

Adults have to "get it" before it can be taught to a younger generation.

John W. Cargile, Msc.D, D.D. is a licensed pastoral psychology counselor. He is a member of the National Educational Association and Alabama Educational Association. E-books, reference material and study programs are now available at his website www.21stcenturyministries.com You can contact him at jwcargile@charter.net. All conversations are confidential.