Yesterday I saw a certain homeless woman who I'll once again call "Sally." As I've previously mentioned, Sally has repeatedly suffered domestic violence at the hands of partner after partner.
Last night Sally shared with me that now she looks for warning signs that a man will abuse her. She is trying to avoid getting into relationships in which men will mistreat her.
By requiring her next partner to respect her, Sally is choosing to respect herself. She is realizing and embracing her own dignity. Sally is choosing to love herself.
Loving herself, she can then love her neighbor as herself. To love our neighbor as ourselves* just as Jesus taught us, we must love ourselves.
* Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14
Last night Sally shared with me that now she looks for warning signs that a man will abuse her. She is trying to avoid getting into relationships in which men will mistreat her.
By requiring her next partner to respect her, Sally is choosing to respect herself. She is realizing and embracing her own dignity. Sally is choosing to love herself.
Loving herself, she can then love her neighbor as herself. To love our neighbor as ourselves* just as Jesus taught us, we must love ourselves.
* Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14
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