You may have heard it said that you need to earn respect in order to receive it. I suppose at some level respect is something earned, as in one’s area of expertise or one’s career. But in terms of personhood, there is a basic level of respect that everyone deserves regardless of one’s position or performance. It’s what everyone should receive freely from the beginning by nature of being made in the image of God. Otherwise, respect will be determined by nationality, race, religion, physical/mental attributes, or some other category made important by the group or designated point of view.
At its basic level, respect is a spiritual thing. It’s ultimately based on an understanding of who we all are in the eyes of God.
In his 2001 commencement address at Marquette University, the late Fred (Mister) Rogers said: “For a long time I wondered why I felt like bowing when people showed their appreciation for the work that I’ve been privileged to do. What I’ve come to understand is that we who bow are probably—whether we know it or not—acknowledging the presence of the eternal: we’re bowing to the eternal in our neighbor. You see, I believe that appreciation is a holy thing, that when we look for what’s best in the person we happen to be with at the moment, we’re doing what God does. So, in loving and appreciating our neighbor, we’re participating in something truly sacred.”
How much difference would it make in the way we treated people, if whenever we were in someone else’s presence, we were aware of being in the presence of the holy?
Today, make a decision to think more about giving respect than getting it.
John Fischer The Catch 
A good challenge, brother John, ” Today, make a decision to think more about giving respect than getting it.” which I’ll be glad to take…
So will I. Beautifully said!
I had a discussion with my bus kids Wednesday afternoon about being kind. I wish I’d have read this beforehand. Maybe we will have another discussion on respect. I fear that too little kindness and respect are received by these children at home…they need to know it exists.
How true! I hope you have that conversation.
This was one of your most excellent catches. So, so very true. Thank you.
Being from the south, I’ve always had a problem with the “yes Mam and no Sir” business. Children are made to address their elders in this manner. My grandchildren are from the west coast and they say, “yes please and no thank you”. That is sufficient for me. I think we need to teach our children your (and Mister Roger’s) definition of respect and quit with the “yes Mam” tradition. Thank you for today’s Catch. For me, it really cleared up the whole meaning of respect.
Namaste my friend.
Respect is about character, not performance or ability in anything. We don’t earn respect with our skills or talents, but with our ethics. A good man is respectable. A capable man is admired or appreciated and the reason we buy ticks and applaud at a concert. The difference between self-esteem and self-respect is the difference between our ability to take care of ourselves with our skills and talents at an economical level we can be proud of, and our willingness to meet others’ needs and give our customers our best for what they are paying us to do. Disreputable contractors will cheat customers to make more money with no regard for what was promised for the price charged in a contract. Our good character gives us the respect that results in others giving us a good reference. Grace, on the other hand, is the love God gives the undeserved. As Christian we love others, because we know we are loved and that is the life Jesus demonstrated and taught us our Creator wants from us..
Jesus taught us to love one another–How do we love someone if we don’t see that person as a child of God deserving of the very basic human need of respect? Even those who commit the most despicable deeds deserve this respect as a human being. So there is the challenge for each of us–giving respect and love when it is not in our nature to do so…it comes from God–not from us— but through us…..