Yesterday someone called me a “hateful, anti-Semitic bigot.” I was blown away by this comment because I certainly don’t consider myself a “hateful, anti-Semitic bigot”. I like to think of myself as a lover of all that God created. In my studies I’ve grown to love hearing the voice of “the other”; “the other” being anyone who is not like me. Yet, in a casual Facebook conversation I came across to someone else as a “hateful, anti-Semitic bigot”. This grieved me. I sought out an explanation, pleaded for forgiveness, but in the end the damage was done, both to someone else and myself.
It is a reminder to me to be sensitive to the concerns of others and to choose the words I use wisely. I wonder if it had been me who approached the woman at the well if she would have thought I was a “mean, misogynist jerk” rather than the bringer of living water. If I am to bring Good News to ALL I come in contact with I first must be loving. No one who thinks you are a “hateful, anti-Semitic bigot” (or something similar) is going to hear Good News from you no matter how you dress it up.
even with the best of intentions, preparation, and delivery our words are at the mercy of the hearer and his/her experiences and expectations.
ReplyDeleteWe do our best and have to trust that that is enough.