The Bible is a great book… Even if you still have it backwards and don’t believe the “Jesus” story it’s a compendium of healthy living. In gives insight into all kinds of issues and the simple instructions therein if followed; provides a certain ‘balance’ to everything in life.

Take this scripture for instance, Romans 12 vs. 13: “… ‘Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but with sober discernment’. Nice. That tells me that though I know I am wonderfully made and therefore should hold myself in high esteem, I must not get carried away… humility.

Then there are several instructions on how to treat one’s neighbour and how to be a good Samaritan, the importance of forgiveness and turning the other cheek; but then Matthew chapter 7 vs. 6 says: do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces. Ah, wisdom!

That is the key… recognising swine. While it is good, nay imperative that we are good, and giving towards one another, if one could learn to recognize swine upon encounter, you would know not to cast your pearls – time, energy, emotions, money, talent, brain power, information name it –before them. It takes a while especially if your default mode is to be charitable and kind but after being ‘trampled and torn apart’ several times you begin to learn.

You encounter them everywhere, in any kind of situation. People who take you for granted, who have very little regard for your time or feelings, who mistake your humility for stupidity and generally carry on like they think you are a fool. Why can’t one be down to earth, soft spoken, polite and still get respect?

Why must I be badly behaved and loud to be treated ‘right’?I’ve seen it happen time and time again and it baffles me. You meet someone, based on whatever you give them access and then they just begin to take advantage because it all seemed so easy and they forget that you it was who granted access in the first place, I really don’t get it. Shouldn’t courtesy attract same?

Then again one cannot be said to have grown in one’s spiritual journey if you can only extend grace to the people who are ‘nice’. Personally, I have simplified the process. Everybody gets a shot. If I am approached and the person half makes sense, I see the potential and it’s not diametrically opposed to my beliefs and principles; I will lend myself to you. I will give of my time, my talent, my energy, whatever the situation requires.

Once that person begins to show traits of a pig, no resentment, no fight, so there’s really nothing to forgive; I simply bend down and pick up my pearls where I have cast them…one by one.