“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire” (Matthew 5:21–22 ESV). We need to listen to ourselves in the words we use about other people. When we avoid using their given name to substitute something derogatory in its place, it violates this command; when our attitude is condescending and our words are full of contempt, it has a killing effect. The opposite of murder is to love, honor and respect all folks with whom our life intersects. Reverence the name of God, never call Him a bad name, nor any of His children. Remember, “Me, Them and God.”
