Jesus calls us to rise above the minimal "letter of the law" to a higher level: "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill, and whoever kills will be liable to judgement. But I say to you whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna," (Mt 5: 21-23). The spirit underlying the command not to kill is RESPECT for the dignity of the other person. By not killing him, I am showing respect. Three cheers, but beyond that is the day to day civility of treating another with kindness and due respect for his or her rights as an individual. Bullying, mean language, unfair judgments, indifference, engaging in name-calling and angry shouting do not equate with respect. Quite the contrary. So, Jesus calls us to look carefully at these behaviors and avoid them as much as murder.
Bro. Rene
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