Treat every person with dignity

As a teenager growing up in Perry, I worked every Saturday at Ellison’s Grocery Store in downtown Perry. In those days, we received grocery orders by telephone. From the call-in order, the grocery clerk would produce a hand-written list from which to assemble the requested items in bags and boxes. Then he would manually prepare an itemized bill to be paid by the customer. Several clerks would assist in filling a given order. Later that morning, the assistant manager loaded all ordered groceries in a station wagon and delivered them to customers’ homes.

After lunch, the belligerent daughter of one of the telephone callers entered the store and defiantly asked who took her parent’s order. I immediately responded: “I took the phone order ma’am.” Then she lit into me like I was an animal, belittling and denigrating me. After this tirade, she said that a single item was missing and proceeded to excoriate me again. Since I represented the store, I knew it would be ill advised to defend myself—even though several grocery clerks participated in filling the telephoned order. I took the chewing out without saying a word in defense. Why did the young lady act that way? Because she did not respect another’s dignity!

I recall an Air Force colonel lambasting a lowly sergeant. The colonel’s bombastic language was echoing throughout headquarters building. The colonel was talking down to the sergeant and cursing him like he was an animal. On the other hand, if the commanding general had walked into the colonel’s office, he would have greeted the senior officer with groveling subservience and total respect. So, why did the colonel unmercifully berate the sergeant? Because he could get away with it!

There are more than a hundred Bible verses that instruct us how we should treat others. A verse we learned as little children in Sunday school was, “Be kind to one another.” Jesus taught that you should “love your neighbor as yourself.” And finally, the Scripture mandates: “All that you do, should be done in love.”

My Granddaddy Powell taught me that all people should be treated with dignity. When people rail at you unjustifiably (because they can get away with it), ask God to help you respond with civility. Never lose your levelheadedness when dealing with an ill-tempered person.

And finally, Jesus told Nicodemus that a person “must be born again (become a new creature) in order to see the kingdom of God.” How you treat that next person you encounter may be an indication on whether you have been born again. Treat everyone with dignity!

HHJ News