What pops into your mind when you hear the word RESPECT? My guess is that nine out of ten of you would say Aretha Franklin’s, (the Queen of Soul) version of the song, R-E-S-P-E-C-T, —-see! Already you have an Earworm stuck in your head; go ahead let her sing it; I’ll get back to you.
If a question lingers, I’ll bring you on board. Aretha Franklin won 18 Grammy Awards and sold a gazillion records of the song worldwide. Her most familiar words ring in our ears…R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me! Aretha was 76 years old when she died, leaving a gap in R&B, Soul, and Popular, music.
RESPECT was written by King of Soul musician (South Georgia’s own), Otis Redding, born in Dawson, GA; his career was launched in Macon, GA. Redding’s recording of RESPECT never made the impact Aretha’s did; nor did anyone else’s recording come close to hers’. When we hear the word (not even the song!) Aretha’s voice echoes in our brain.
Merriam-Webster defines Respect: feeling or understanding that someone or something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way. It is almost a paraphrase of what Jesus said. Love your neighbor and love yourself! i.e. show respect to people, including yourself. Respect for others is an important dynamic in human relations. While honest disagreement can be healthy—even important, disrespect curbs, if not corrodes, relationships.
My spirits are buoyed up when I see a person, or a group of people take the high road and show respect; especially respect for our vital institutions. The same goes for showing respect for local or national leaders who show strength of character or stand up for the downtrodden. It takes courage to stand up, to go for the common good—especially when it goes against the popular. In fact, even when leaders disappoint, we must hold respect for the office, and work to uphold the standards of that office. For example, a police officer may behave disgracefully, but the office requires respect.
I sometimes wonder if diminishing respect could be a reason I do not find sequels to the erstwhile Profiles in Courage books. And. Respect does not always come robed in riches, nor spangled before spotlights. Often, maybe more often, Respect is holding the door for someone with arms loaded, giving a friendly greeting to someone having a bad day, stopping to talk with someone who is lonely, saying “thank you for your service” to a police officer or military member. Maybe respect was what motivated Jesus to invite himself to dinner at the home of an ostracized man. As I said, showing Respect sometimes appears in unlikely places.
It took a while before the down-and-out, wayward son would recognize and respect his father’s integrity. But as Luke tells the story, the father respected his son—not his son’s dumb (selfish?) choice— enough to give him his freedom. As I read the story, the underlying reality is respect; the father’s mature respect held up, allowing the wayward son time to discover and recover his own respect and appreciate his father’s. Respect takes the high road.