Yaqara (ܝܩܪܐ)

These are the words I taught concerning Respect, for Respect is the doorway of love and the guardrail of Wisdom.

I say to you: to love without respect is to cling without honor; to speak without respect is to wound even with truth. But with respect, love is made pure, and wisdom is made gentle.

“Teacher, what is Respect?”

Respect is the seeing of worth in all things. It is not flattery, nor fear, nor the bowing of the head without the bowing of the heart. Respect is recognition: the Breath of Truth in another, the dignity of life, the order of creation.

Respect is not only for the elder, nor the ruler, nor the teacher. It is for the child, who carries wonder; for the worker, whose hands build; for the stranger, whose face is unknown yet bears the same Breath.

Respect is not blind obedience. It does not call evil good, nor bow before falsehood. True Respect is clear-eyed: it honors what is worthy and refuses what destroys.

There once was a servant who feared his master and called it respect. He bowed low and obeyed quickly, but in his heart he hated him. Another servant spoke truth to the master when he erred, yet cared for his house faithfully. Which servant showed respect? Not the one who feared, but the one who honored truth.

So it is with Respect: it is not fear, but truth joined to honor.

Why show Respect? Because without it, communities wither. The child disrespected loses courage; the elder disrespected is left in loneliness; the earth disrespected turns barren.

Respect is the shield against arrogance and the cure for contempt. It keeps peace among neighbors and harmony between nations. It honors the Breath in all, so that none is cast aside as less.

Why Respect? Because all things are bound together. To dishonor one part is to wound the whole. But to honor even the least is to strengthen the fabric of life.

There once was a man who owned two fields. In one he planted grain, in the other he dumped refuse. He said, “This one I respect, that one I despise.” But when the rains came, the refuse flowed into the grain, and his harvest was spoiled.

Then he learned: what you dishonor will return to you, and what you respect will bear fruit.

“Teacher, how shall we show Respect?”

In your words, let there be gentleness. Speak firmly, but not harshly. Speak truth, but not with contempt.

In your actions, let there be fairness. Honor the worker by paying what is just. Honor the child by teaching with patience. Honor the elder by listening to their wisdom.

In your silence, let there be presence. Respect is not only in speech, but also in waiting, in hearing, in giving space.

Respect the earth: do not strip it bare, but tend it as a garden. Respect the creatures: do not torment them, but let them live in their place. Respect your own body: do not drive it into ruin, but keep it with care.

There once was a traveler who came to a market. He saw a potter shaping clay, and he mocked him, saying, “This is easy.” He seized the clay and pressed it hard, but it collapsed in his hands. The potter said, “You pressed with strength, but not with respect.”

So it is with life: without Respect, what you touch will crumble.

When shall you show Respect? At all times, in all dealings, with all beings. But most of all in conflict, when anger rises; in difference, when pride divides; in creation, when greed tempts.

Show Respect when you agree, for that is easy. But more so when you disagree, for that is the test. Show Respect when you are strong, lest your strength become violence. Show Respect when you are weak, lest your weakness become bitterness.

Respect the stranger at your gate, for they may be a messenger of Truth. Respect the child at your side, for they may speak wisdom you do not see. Respect even your enemy, for to curse them is to feed the fire, but to honor their humanity is to quench it. 

There once was a bridge between two villages. The people crossed daily with goods and greetings. But one man spat upon the bridge and said, “It is nothing.” In time, many followed, and the bridge rotted and fell. Then the villages were cut off, and trade ceased, and sorrow grew.

So it is with Respect: it is the bridge between souls. Spit upon it, and you will fall into division. Honor it, and all may cross in peace.

Respect yourself, for you are the dwelling of the Breath. Respect your neighbor, for they share the same Spirit. Respect the stranger, for Truth walks in many guises. Respect the earth and its creatures, for they are the handiwork of the Holy One.

This is what Respect is: recognition of worth.

This is why Respect matters: to bind community in peace.

This is how Respect is practiced: in word, in deed, in silence.

This is when Respect is shown: always, and most of all when it is hardest.

Walk in Respect, and you will walk in Truth.