This is from a mb, well worth a read, i think.
Date: Monday, 21 June 2004, 4:33 p.m.
Two weeks ago my father passed away at the age of 90. Going
through one of his scrapbooks a few days ago I came upon a short essay
he wrote in 1973 that I feel is as relevant today as it was then. My
father was not a scholar or professional writer. In fact, his formal
education stopped at Grade 9 as he was forced to leave school to find
work in 1929. Hope you enjoy it.
"The Word is Respect, Not Love", by Gordon Clarfield
For countless generations we have been told to, commanded to,
pleaded with, to 'Love Thy Neighbor.' We have been promised
everlasting life and happiness if we would only do this, and yet, for
just as many generations the vast majority of people have not been
able to, or want to, 'Love Thy Neighbor.' It seems like such a simple
request. If we would only do this little thing, all of man's troubles,
wars, poverty, etc. would disappear into thin air, and we would all
live together on Earth, just like the angels do in Heaven.
So let us examine this 'Love Thy Neighbor.' Now what kind of love
do we need, or use, to love thy neighbor, and by neighbor, I mean the
people living next door to you, and the ones across the street. Your
friends and aquaintances. The people you work with, your fellow
employees and your boss. The people you go to school with, boys and
girls and teachers. The people you come into contact with, your
dentist, doctor, lawyer, electrician, plumber, TV repairman, your
minister, mechanic, insurance man - and a thousand more. These are
your neighbors. Now what kind of love do we give them?
Do we give them the kind of love we have for our mother and
father, or sister and brother, aunt or uncle or cousin? Or the kind of
love we have for our wives and husbands, or sweethearts, for sons and
daughters or our grandchildren? Do we give them the kind of love we
have for our country, our flag, our anthem, our religion, our
language, or our heritage, or for our favorite hockey or baseball
team? Is it the kind of love we have for our life work, our studies,
or our hobbies?
I have been wracking my brains and I cannot, for the life of me,
figure out what kind of love I should give my neighbor. Truth to tell
- I don't love my neighbors. I never have and I probably never will. I
do like most of them. So when I'm told, commanded, pleaded with, to
'Love Thy Neighbor,' I just can't do it, and evidently neither can
most men or women, boys or girls in this community or anywhere else.
Then if I can't 'Love Thy Neighbor,' how should I feel toward him,
how should I act? I have been taught to 'Respect My Neighbor.' That is
the important thing. That is possible for you and me - for every man,
woman and child. I may not be able to 'Love Thy Neighbor,' but I can
RESPECT him. I can respect him as an individual. I can respect the
color of his skin, his language, his religion. I can respect his
culture. I can respect any man or woman for what they are.
If we learn to respect our neighbors, then we can learn to live
beside them, work beside them, study beside them. To treat them with
courtesy and consideration - not to harm them, ridicule them, despise
them, deprive them. Just as every person is considered innocent of any
crime until proven guilty - so must we show respect to every person,
regardless of their station in life, until proven unworthy.
And if we as individuals can respect our neighbors, then that
respect can reach out to other peoples in other lands. Just as a smile
begets a smile, so will respect invite respect in return, and that my
friends and neighbors will finally bring peace in this troubled world
to all mankind.
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