Gifford Volunteer Chaplain Kathy Rohloff shares her personal reflections in this blog post. Kathy and all of our volunteer chaplains offer a nonsectarian presence. If you need someone to listen, and hear you with compassion, you can reach them by calling the Rev. Tim Eberhardt at 802-728-2107.
By Kathy Rohloff
Practice what you preach has been an expression first recorded by Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus (254-184 BC) and reiterated by moral teachers in “do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.”
When a doctor advises us to restrict our diet and exercise, we can more easily accept this admonition if they themselves appear to be in good health.
As a child, I have vivid memories of the dentist filling a cavity (no Novocaine) and peering around the smoke being exhaled from his cigar as he lectured on good dental hygiene. This greatly affected my view of dentists and any desire to see them regularly.
There are so many hot topics that are debated ad nauseam—discussed so many times that one becomes sick of hearing about it. Screen time and violence, gut health and gluten, politics and education, religion and prejudice, gun control and climate change are just a few on a very long list.
The one issue that really needs to be changed is our own hearts. Here is the center of our being, the place where all attitudes arise. Here is where we have the opportunity to change.
What kind of people do we want to be? If our goal is to be patient and kind, respectful of others, and to believe the best of everyone, then there are attitudes that we need to adjust in ourselves. Prejudices need to be laid down; we need to take the time to get to know the other.
How do we want to be treated? The ability to have our basic needs of housing and food met is a universal desire. To live without experiencing rudeness, hateful speech, or fear might also be important.
How do we treat others? The easiest way is to combine all of those things most important to us and extend to others.
Once we settle the inward questions, the outward actions and words will follow.
There is so much we can do. In our neighborhoods we can help with food insecurity by supporting the food shelf. We can sort through our belongings and pass them to the thrift store or offer them for free on public forums. We can visit those who are alone, help the elderly with yardwork and chores, and volunteer to read to children at the library.
There are local businesses to support and public offices to fill. Acknowledge and thank the postal workers and grocery clerks, produce managers and pharmacy help, traffic workers and wait staff. Everywhere we look there are folks in need of encouragement, and it is a gift we can freely give.
Practice makes perfect. We might as well begin today.
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