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Promoting life, justice, and dignity |
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The Most Holy Trinity |
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DIGNITY Remember brothers and sisters, God chose us. We didn’t choose Him. As Scripture tells us, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (Jeremiah 1:5). “Thou didst knit me together in my mother's womb” (Psalm 139:13). Out of His infinite love, God created each one of us. Dignity is the state of being worthy. Because God cared enough to make each one of us a unique being, formed in His own image (Genesis 1:27), we have value. We have worth. We have dignity. And since this dignity is a divine gift, no human, social or political entity can take it away. By His suffering and death on the cross, Jesus brought redemption to all mankind. He died for all of us, not just the wealthy, the noble, or the learned. He suffered and died for all races, colors, creeds, and genders. “We have set our hope on the living God, who is the savior of all” (1 Timothy 4:10). We have no right to degrade others, to gossip and slander others because they are different. Every human being, no matter what his/her state of life, should be treated with respect. We don’t |
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have to agree with their actions or points of view. But, we do need to respect them as God’s creation. How often do we find ourselves making fun of the disabled and the handicapped because of their appearance or because of their physical inability? Perhaps we have a sense of superiority over them. They are easy targets because they usually can’t fight back or defend themselves. Many find delight in afflicting pain and injure on the disabled and the handicapped. We have been warned in scripture to leave the disabled alone. “You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind” (Leviticus 19:14). They should be treated with dignity. However, many seem to get their kicks out of insulting them. Consider Pilate’s Roman soldiers. After just giving Jesus a severe beating, they took Jesus to the praetorium, dressed him in a robe and forced a crown of thorns upon his head. “And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking him on the head.” (Matthew 27:29-30). This wasn’t part of Pilate’s order. They were inflicting pain for pure delight. They were having fun at the expense of another human being’s misery. Another easy prey is the elderly. We are constantly hearing stories on the news of consumer scams against the elderly. Again, we are warned in scripture to treat the elderly with dignity and respect. “Likewise you that are younger be subject to the elders” (1 Peter 5:5). And if we do, great will be our reward. “And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me' (Matthew 25:40). Influenced by greed and material wants, children push for the demise of their parents so they can get at their inheritance sooner. With the casual acceptance of abortion by society, euthanasia will be the next socially accepted assault on life, the lives of the elderly. “God deems it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to grant rest with us to you who are afflicted (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7).” One of the most heinous crimes on earth against the dignity of humans is child abuse, especially sexual abuse. The innocent victim is stripped of their dignity, their innocence and scared for life. Southeast Asia is a mecca for these perverts. Young innocent children are sold and traded like livestock. They are subjected to unspeakable acts at the hands of these depraved minds. But, they will not get away with it. "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). “Jesus said…let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Mark 10:14)." “Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). Treat all people with dignity and respect and you will receive the same. |
