It was an attempt at significant insult. To throw a shoe at a person and hit them for this reporter was to say, “You are beneath my shoe…and the filth it walks on.” I was also amazed by the guy’s rapid fire delivery of two shoes in such a short time. I was also proud of President Bush’s quick response time. It was a close call.
In different cultures there are different ways to insult your enemies. For most of us, insults can be delivered with more subtlety than a thrown shoe. We insult and demean people by ignoring them…as if they didn’t exist. We insult by sarcasm and criticism, mostly behind their backs, to influence negatively how others feel about them. For those closest to us, we know how best to inflict pain with our words. We know where the weak areas of their armor make them vulnerable. With surgical precision, we deliver our blows, one small cut at a time.
In a world where insult is the norm and is taken to great extremes Paul’s advice seems best for Christ-followers, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32, NIV).
In different cultures there are different ways to insult your enemies. For most of us, insults can be delivered with more subtlety than a thrown shoe. We insult and demean people by ignoring them…as if they didn’t exist. We insult by sarcasm and criticism, mostly behind their backs, to influence negatively how others feel about them. For those closest to us, we know how best to inflict pain with our words. We know where the weak areas of their armor make them vulnerable. With surgical precision, we deliver our blows, one small cut at a time.
In a world where insult is the norm and is taken to great extremes Paul’s advice seems best for Christ-followers, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32, NIV).
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