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     %GREAT POWER PRIVILEGE AVOID SUFFER PAIN CHILD 930109

     Often  we regard with great deference and awe  people
whom  we  regard as being great people and/or people  with
great power. We regard with minimal respect and awe people
whom we regard as being  little  people and/or people with
little power;  e.g.,  the poor,  children and women.   Our
self-regard often mirrors how we regard others.

     It  is disintegrative of persons and communities  for
us to  regard  ourselves  and  each  other as  essentially
isolated   individuals  who  are  not  inter-connected  in
profound   ways;    e.g.,   as  objective  things   viewed
objectively  from  a  perspective  of  detachment.    This
objective perspective is essentially alienative.  It needs
to  be  balanced with appropriate balancing questions  and
perspectives.

     If we look for the coming of a great messiah  we  are
most  likely to do so with the anticipation that the great
messiah  will be a great person of great power,  privilege
and  one to be regarded with great awe and  respect;   not
like a powerless and simple child, poor person, or female.
We  are in a mirror image way likely to  regard  ourselves
with low self  esteem and to be critical of any person who
regards themselves with great respect, awe and deference.

     In the light of the above it is interesting  to  take
note  of  the  overt  and implicit teachings of  Jesus  of
Nazareth whom many regard as a true messiah.

     The record is quite clear that Jesus did not have the
advantage of avoiding insults,  suffering,  pain,  and the
disadvantages  of the poor,  of children or of women;  nor
did he exercise great power in worldly terms.

     The record is quite clear that Jesus did not seek  or
welcome  reverence  on the part of those who would  follow
him and respect him.

     The  record  is  quite  clear  that  Jesus  did   not
encourage  (and  in  fact discouraged)  his  followers  to
regard children, the poor and women with condescension.

     The  record  is  quite  clear  that  Jesus  did   not
encourage (and in fact discouraged)  his followers to seek
great power, privilege, and positions of honor.

     The  record  is  quite clear  that  Jesus  urged  his
followers  to  regard the least of the poor,  the children
and  the women  about  them with  the  respect,   awe  and
deference they accorded to him.

     We  will  do  well to consider what these  facts  say
about how we may best regard each other and ourselves. The
implications are startling!

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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