Faith calls us to serve one another. The law of reciprocity: treat others as you in turn would like to be treated, is a fundamental code found in every religion. So basic and yet often so seemingly impossible. How can I possibly love the man who just laid me off for no legitimate reason? And what about that woman who nearly ran me off the road, why should I be kind to her? In the moment of intense emotion, it seems inconceivable to stop and be conscious of our thoughts and words, instead of rushing into action and responding habitually. Not knowing the ripple effect our response has on others shackles us to the present moment, calling us to be aware. Regardless of the outcome we always have a choice in how we respond.
One of my dearest friends, Joanna, works with convicted felons as a Community Corrections Hearings Officer. Every day she sees the years of anger and hatred seethe from people’s eyes or the venom spit from their tongues, knowing that most of these men and women have broken laws as a reaction to their unconscious internal brokenness. But what she couldn’t see was the positive impact she was having on them. One man in particular, was known to be especially violent; and being a slight 5.5 inches tall and 115 lbs, Joanna was no match and was duly warned to be careful. Like many others, this man entered the courtroom pissed off and belligerent. But Joanna did something others before had not. She listened. She took time, sat patiently and heard this man’s story of injustice. While she still rendered a verdict that kept him behind bars, her response made a difference. Joanna didn’t treat this man like a sub-human or a monster. She treated him like she would want to be treated, with compassion and fairness, as a human. The outcome may be viewed as irrelevant considering this man remained incarcerated, but the shift was subtle and yet monumental. Upon leaving the courtroom he turned to Joanna and thanked her for listening. And she could see how he had changed, noticing how the intense malice had lifted from his eyes. And at least for that moment, for that day he was a little less broken.
We are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, especially those cast out of society and marginalized. Some times this call is a loud voice booming in our ears, shining a light down the path we are to follow and showing us how to respond. Most often this is not the case and instead we feel a small nudge or a soft whisper asking us to be awake to our actions toward others and be conscious of how to respond. Unlike Joanna, we may never witness the ripple effect downstream. But we can experience how much lighter it feels to respond with love, instead of anger, and experience a gift intended for our neighbor, boomerang back, filling us with peace.
