Friday, November 9, 2012

The Beauty of Dignity

The word 'dignity' derives from a Latin word meaning "worthiness". One definition of the word is "the state or quality of being worthy of honor".

God, in His gracious wisdom, bestowed humanity with the beauty of dignity. We are each worthy of honor simply because we are God's creation. We were made in His image, and thus we were made with dignity.

When Adam and Eve sinned, we lost our sense of dignity. We no longer see ourselves as God created us to be. We see only the brokenness and despair of any possibility for dignity to be restored. And so we turn on our fellow man and strip them of any dignity that might linger. We judge and criticize and demoralize in some perverted attempt to make ourselves feel better about ourselves.

I've seen it a lot recently. Much of it has taken place in the political arena in the days leading up to the election. Some continues as people express their elation or disappointment at the outcome of the election. But the kind that saddens me the most is the stripping of those who have the greatest physical needs in this country.

Just this week I have seen a meme that compares people on welfare with a lazy dog. In another post, a newspaper clipping compares people who receive food stamps to wild animals who no longer know how to fend for themselves. I'm not here to argue for those programs. But I am here to argue for the dignity of the people who currently depend on those programs.

Yes, it is true that there are people who take advantage of these free handouts. But it is also true that there are many who could not survive without them. We don't get to judge them. We don't get to add to the shame of not being able to provide for their families by calling them lazy and stupid. We don't get to expect that they get their act together before we will help. We are asked simply to help them. We are called upon to serve the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the prisoner (Matthew 25:31-46). We are not called upon to judge why he is hungry or naked or in prison. We are not asked to determine whether or not a person deserves our help, we are told to help (James 2).

You see, the truth of the matter is this: you don't deserve your current situation in life any more than they do. You are where you are because of the grace of God. You may not like to admit it, but you are the recipient of a free handout. It's called grace. And God gave it to you because you needed it. You were desperate and couldn't live without it. He didn't hold back because you might abuse the system. He didn't call you lazy and stupid for admitting that you needed help. He didn't wait for you to get your act together. He reached out His hand and helped you. And in doing so, He healed your shame and He restored your dignity. And then He asked you to do the same for those around you.

So next time you find yourself judging and criticizing the welfare recipients of this world, remember that you are one, too. And then get up, go to your local homeless shelter or soup kitchen or food pantry and get to know the people there. Ask them to tell you their stories, and then listen as they tell you. That one simple act will do more to restore their dignity than you could ever imagine.

What would happen if we chose to spend more time restoring and defending dignity than seeking to strip it away?

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