RESPECT EVERYONE

There was once a young man, a summa cum laude of a prestigious university, who came to a remote village and crossed a wide river via small boat. While travelling, he asked the boatman, “Do you know the exact weight of your boat when it is full to its capacity?”  “I don’t know, Sir”, replied the boatman. “Well, you are a boatman. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT.”  After a few minutes, the young man asked again, “Do you know the exact height of that mountain over there?” The poor boatman answered, “I’m sorry, Sir, I don’t know that, Sir.”  “Well, you are always here boating and YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT,” insisted the young man. Then, suddenly, after few minutes, the wind blew so furiously that it heavily hit the boat. The boatman suggested, “Sir, we need to jump out of the boat immediately and swim to spare our lives!”  The young man fearfully exclaimed, “What!?, I don’t know how to swim! I don’t know that!!” The boatman said, “But, Sir, it is the only option you can do to save your life! You should know how to swim! YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT! .. I’m sorry, Sir, I can’t save you with this kind of heavy storm, and I must now go!”

Indeed, there are things you know that others don’t, and there are things others know that you don’t. So, we don’t need to compare ourselves with anybody else. We don’t even have the license to belittle someone because of our seemingly advantage over them.

Nobody has the monopoly of knowledge and intelligences … not even the monopoly of GOD’s blessings.

GOD gives each person with skills and talents that make him or her uniquely special. That is why we do not have the right to label anyone dumb or stupid. If we help each other discover and explore our own areas of intelligence, then we’d all be happier and more content with ourselves.

Be careful. Respect everybody because we’re all GOD’s creation. You may not admire someone much but nevertheless, GOD loves him. There’s an African saying that goes this way: “The opinion of the intelligent is better than the certainty of the ignorant.”

As Citizen of the Kingdom, we are expected to use our talents, skills, intelligence, or any advantage to serve and to help each other in the spirit of warmth, harmony, and love, for one day we will face the real Judge and shall render an account.