I had an acquaintance lately shut down a project because they did not feel as if they were garnered enough respect. I dispute their findings, but I’m unsurprised.

I’ve shut down things I’ve done in the past because I didn’t feel like I was supported. The biggest one that sticks out in my mind was when I first started the fight to reform UAH’s Student Government Association. I brought up the Constitutional changes I had worked on all summer–including driving seven hours one way for meetings, to turn around and go home the next morning–and was supremely frustrated when petty politics killed it. I was so upset that I ended up resigning my position.

In the end, that was a good thing: the only reason I’d wanted to be elected to SGA was to rework the Constitution. It was all a personal glory thing. When my glory was drenched, I wanted the hell out of there. The next year, when I ran again, I was running because I wanted to represent the students in the College of Engineering — the right reason to be doing something like that. Because of that, and because I went into the group with proper goals, I got what I wanted.
People claim to want respect. I understand that. Respect’s one of the few things that I want in this world. I don’t ask that you like me, but I do ask that you have enough agape love for your fellow man to respect what I do. Shoot, there are times when I don’t like myself very much for the stupid, foolish things that I am wont to do.

However, I recognize the fundamental theme of respect: it’s right in there with love. If you cannot love people, you will have no respect for them. Love and respect must be mutual to be effective.

In this time, where we’re nearing St. Valentine’s Day with both its true and false expressions of love, let me explain what I mean by love. No, I’m not talking about relationship love, sexual love, or familial love … I speak of agape love, Godly love. Sure, you may not believe in God as I do, but I think you can understand it. Agape comes from a fundamental consideration for your fellow man, that he or she should be treated with care. Agape love is the love that holds doors open for someone with an armful of packages, the one that helps little old ladies across the street, and keeps you from rear-ending that jerk driver on the Parkway.

For respect to be given, it needn’t necessarily be earned, but it must be returned. If I respected none of you, and made it clear by my writing, I’m pretty sure that you’d not waste your time in reading whatever it is that I have to say. If I respected only some of you, choosing to bash a certain group–say, those of African descent–some of you would respect me, and many of you would not. But if I attempt to respect you all, then you will all be very likely to afford me that same respect.

Love works in the same way. I just see respect as an outgrowth of agape love, inextricably intermeshed.

Remember that on Thursday, and throughout the year … especially as you and that other guy are fighting for the last box of chocolates to give to your sweetie.