What does ‘Respect’ mean?

I do not need to spend many minutes reading messages and comments on social media before I start to wonder if some people have forgotten what respect means. 

However, today my question refers to the etymology of the word and the call to show respect. The word derives from the Latin respicere, which means ‘looking back at’ or ‘seeing again’. 
For me this has at least two meanings:

1. To see a person and let him feel ‘seen’ again and again.
2. To treat a person in such a way that I can meet him again without being ashamed.

When my wife, Magna, many years ago should find a name to the after-school project we have in Eastern Europe, she chose to call it “See me!”. When children are seen and acknowledged, they grow and mature because they feel respected. If they aren’t seen, they will try to attract attention often in ways that are not necessarily good. Very often they know that what they do is not good, however, nothing is worse than being ignored and excluded.

Adults are in reality only children who have grown up. We also need to be seen, and the mechanisms we use when we feel ignored, are often similar to those we used as children.

I know that the Lord is my shepherd( 2)  and that he watches over me. Jesus called himself the good shepherd (3), and as God sent him into the world, Jesus sends us (4). This means that one of the roles embedded in discipleship, is to be shepherds = people who see others, and by doing so show respect and include.

From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind…
Psalm 33:13

‘Manna’ for today:

… and we are his eyes here on earth

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(1) General Peddle’s call: A Call to Inclusion: We must be beyond reproach in treating all people with respect and compassion, remembering our mission to meet human needs in Christ’s name without any discrimination. 

(2) Psalm 23
(3) John 10:11
(4) John 20:21

It is about a healthy godliness

NORSK I have met too many people who are struggling with an unhealthy fear of God. It is unhealthy because they fear God and his judgement even though they have had their sins forgiven and are new creatures in Christ. Some regard this fear as part of true godliness, which is an ingredient in Peter’s fruit-recipe:

“.. add to perseverance …godliness”
2 Pet 1:6

With regard to this ingredient, may be the image of the chain-reaction is more suitable. The healthy godliness is a result of a preceding process, which include the “insight” giving me assurance about the fact that I am a child of God. The question is then: Does a child fear a good and loving parent?

My immediate answer is “Yes”, but the fear is not related to the judgement or the punishment of disobedience, but to the desire to not cause disappointment. Godliness is about respect for him who loves me, and whom I want to love back with all of my heart. This is the theme of the reflection: Holiness is about respect.
 
‘Manna’ for today:

Healthy godliness is a result of a preceding process

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It is about honour and respect

NORSK
When I yesterday wrote about respect for holiness, I remembered a course I lead five years back, in which Commissioner Robert Street was one of the lecturers. 

Street has written several books, and on that occaion he taught from his book on “Servant leadership”. 

He focused on the fact that the most important part of the mind of a servant, is to show respect.

He told that he as the Training Principal of William Booth College in London every week asked the cadets:

“Have you been respected by the staff and the other cadets this last week?”

And continued:

“Have you shown everyone respect during the last week?”

One thing is to know what is right, another thing is that this needs to be integrated in my attitude, become part of my 'spine'. It is biblical:

Honour everyone. Love the family of believers. Have respectful fear of God. Honour the emperor.
1 Pet 2:17 CEB

I honour people through showing them respect, and through honouring the man created in God’s image, I also show God honour and respect! I pray that this will work even today!

‘Manna’ for today:

Holiness is to show people honour and respect.

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It is about respect

NORSK
When I study holiness in the Old Testament, it is evident that the Israelites never doubted God’s holiness. They had the Torah with its clear regulations how they should deal with issues concerning their worship and practical life. 

They had seen what e.g. the holiness of the Ark of the Covenant could do the surroundings when it was taken out of its sacred purpose. The Philistines had captured the ark of God but came soon to this conclusion:

"Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people."
1 Sam 5:11 

They firmly believed what Moses learned from one of his encounters with God:

Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."

And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."
Ex 33:18-20

They took the consequences of this belief and tied a rope around the leg of the High Priest when he entered the Most Holy Place – in case God should reveal himself. Isaiah’s reaction to the vision in the Temple is another confirmation (1). 

This respect for the holy made them consecrate not only people, but all the items used in connection with the religious life.
A consecrated item was then perfect for its purpose in the ministry. It had the same shape and the same look as before it had become holy. The great difference was that the item had been the object of an act of obedience to God’s description of consecration. It was not its original talent that made it perfect, but the act of faith!

'Manna' for today:

Holiness is about awe and respect

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(1) Isa 6:5