“Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.” (Matthew 5:22 // The Message Bible)
You’re nothing to me! You are worthless and beneath my consideration! This is the message we convey when we call others a derogatory name. The contempt contained in labeling others seeks to diminish their inherent value. It views them as subhuman, unworthy of respect or dignity. Dallas Willard said, “Contempt is inherently poisonous . . . it is withering to the human soul.”
Branding people like cattle, placing everyone in a category is one of our more popular pastimes and most effective ways of unraveling our social fabric. Labels are often libels and unworthy of the meek follower of Jesus.
When they can’t find a reason to speak well of someone, the meek venture below their exterior and look for even the tiniest evidence of the Imago Dei.
[An excerpt from my booK: WHAT ON EARTH? Considering the Social Implications of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.]
barney wiget 