Speak Well of Everyone

"Speak well of everyone."  These words were spoken by renown theologian, Miroslav Volf at the 2012 Justice Conference.  As the focal point of his talk he elaborated on these words.  It's quite simple really, speak well of everyone.  Not just your friends, your family, and people you admire, but also the socially awkward, your enemies, people you disagree with, and even people who do not speak well of you.

Speak well of everyone.

The following quote is an excerpt from a letter written by a Canadian woman in clear outrage of Muslim prisoners asking to be treated as human beings.

"When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank:

I don't care.  Shoot him again.

When I hear that a prisoner who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat and fed 'special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe, in your heart of hearts:

I don't care.

And oh. by the way.  I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and other times 'Quran.'  Well, Jimmy Crack Corn you guessed it.

I don't care!!"

She finishes it with...

"One last thought for the day:

Only five defining forces have ever offered to die for you:  Jesus Christ, the British soldier, the Canadian soldier, the US soldier, and the Australian soldier.

One died for your soul, the other four, for you and your children's freedom."

What the what!?  Is God's heart found anywhere in this?  I wish I could be accused of taking it out of context, but the entire letter is filled with this language.  No, Christians may not agree with the Muslim religion, or things Muslims have done and continue to do, but if Christians are ever going to reach the Muslim people, it will not be through hateful words.

That example is a little extreme.  Most do not go around saying belligerent, and downright hateful things about other people.  So what about the weird kid at school?  Or the annoying person you work with?  How about the people who don't like you, maybe even speak poorly about you?

Speak well of everyone.

Miroslav talked about how his father would remove himself from any conversation at the slightest whisper of gossip.  He wouldn't be abrupt; he would simply disengage and walk away because he didn't want to take part in it.  Since hearing this, I have tried my best to refrain from participating in negative talk of people.  If I don't have a way to remove myself from the situation, then I will do my best to defend that person, as I hope others would defend me.

If we are being honest with ourselves, we all have faults about us.  We all have qualities that rub others the wrong way.  In which case, we do not have any right to talk about the negative traits of other people.  I want to relate it to the outlook a person has on life.  Everyone has heard the terms pessimism, realism—pessimism in disguise, and optimism.  Pessimists and realists tend to focus on the negatives and the what-if's of life.  When someone is constantly seeing the negative, he will feel that way.  Optimists simply look at the great things happening in life, and that is where they place their focus.  Therefore, they tend to be happier, more positive people.  Choose to focus on the positives in others.  Look at them through God's eyes and find value in everyone.  Your conscious efforts to see the good in, and to speak well of everyone will produce a habit, and it will eventually become second nature.