Pride and Respect

I havent blogged for a few days. The main reason has been because I cant talk about the most exciting part of my day. . . . I was selected to be apart of a jury. All I can say about it right now is that it is a criminal trial. Its expected to last until Thanksgiving.

Although I cant talk about what was going on, there is a thought that resurfaced these last few days. It first started a few years ago, during my Books & Basketball days. After getting to know a few kids, and becoming friends with them, I realized something. Maybe this isnt true for everyone, or for most people that grow up in an urban setting. But it was something that I heard alot about, and continue to see throughout my life in Boston. . . .

It seems that many, many people fight over a simply idea. Respect. Its not for food, shelter, clothes, education, or anything tangible. But for "Respect." An arguement can start from a simple look of disrepect, or a small, short disrespecting comment. But one thing that I dont understand, is that true respect is given when it is received. To truly respect a person, you will thus feel respect back from that person. Atleast, that has been my experience. But in this world where a person is willing to die in order to gain the respect that they think/feel they deserve, people arent willing to give respect in the same manner. So this leads me to wonder: What is "respect" then? What is it that they are looking for? What is it that they are willling to fight to the death for? . . . And how can we help to change this? How can we help to give them a real reason for living? This thus brings me to a discuss I had this evening with a few church friends. It was about bringing a broken heart and contrite spirit unto the Lord and he will make us the best we can be. When we truly give our desires and will to the Lord, do we then become who we were destined to be. Its is the Lord that we are to respect. It is the Lord that we are to fight to the death for. It is the Lord that turns the respect. Ok, maybe those arent completely coherant thoughts. (But it has been a long day, and is currently passed my bedtime. . . . )