In the Voice of Hesus and John, Grounded in the Gospels and the Golden Threads
Hesus:
Respect is not submission. It is not silence in the face of power or fear. It is the sacred recognition of another’s breath—of their creation in the image of the Eternal. In Matthew 7:12, I said: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.” This is not only kindness. It is respect embodied. The Golden Rule begins with regard—for the other’s life, voice, and truth.
Respect is not agreement. It is the decision to stand beside another without erasing their path. It is the discipline of presence.
To respect someone is to say: “I see the divine spark in you. I will not try to dim it.”
True respect means asking first: Can I listen before I speak? Can I make space before I move?
John:
Respect begins with space. In the wilderness I cried, “Make straight the way of the Lord” (John 1:23), and yet I did not compel others. I invited. The desert teaches humility; the river teaches acceptance. Even as I baptized, I asked repentance—not domination.
To respect is to know your limits—and not let your shadow fall upon another’s flame.
When you step into another’s life, ask:
Have I been welcomed?
Am I truly listening—or merely waiting to speak?
Do I bring compassion—or control masked as truth?
Together:
Respect is a practice woven through all threads of the Golden Path:
- In Zoroastrianism, it is reverence for choice and right action (asha).
- In Buddhism, it is right speech and right intention.
- In Daoism, it is harmony—flowing without forcing.
- In Judaism, it is chesed (lovingkindness) and the command not to oppress the stranger.
- In Islam, it is adab—courtesy, humility, and justice in all things.
To be respectful:
- Set boundaries, but never raise barriers.
- Speak truth, but never wield it to wound.
- Walk your path, but do not block the paths of others.
Respect is the soil where peace begins. It is where laws are made not to control but to protect, where differences are not threats but gifts.
To be respectful is to be awake.
It is to ask, daily: Am I seeing others as they are—or as I need them to be?
From respect, we learn love.
From love, we create peace.
/respect is not a commandment. It is the rhythm of sacred living.