What Sort of People Are Here? Looking for the Good in People Edwin Markham

Edwin Markham
source: Wikipedia

     Browsing through an old book I picked out at a local store I came across a parable of sorts by Edwin Markham titled What Sort of People Are Here?  It was a good, positive reminder for me and no doubt will be for those who read it.  

     It is a real gift to look for the good, the positive, and the best the world has to offer in the midst of negativity, anger and hatred perpetrated toward and on people who have done nothing more than want to live a good life.  

     On the receiving end, it is a real blessing when those who know our faults and weirdness still look for, and focus on what is good in us.

     It is a fact that every person who has lived, is living, and will live at some time will act in a manner that is hurtful or negative, or mean-spirited. Each person will say or do something without their knowledge that is inappropriate or will be taken wrongly.  

     We all have a choice to dwell either on the negative or the positive.  We all have the choice to look for that one spark of good.  

     When good is hard to find what should we do?  We can commit that person or situation to God and pray, "Lord, this is too hard for me to handle. I release it too you and ask for healing of my feelings and healing of this person's heart."  

What Sort of People Here?

Once when a prophet in a palm shade lay,

A traveler stopped at noon one dusty day,

And asked, "What sort of people in this land?"

The prophet answered, lifting happy hand,

"Well, friend, what sort of people whence you came?"

"What sort," the traveler snorted, "knaves and fools."

"Well," said the prophet, "when your fever cools,

You'll find the people here the very same."

Another stranger at the dusk drew near,

And paused to ask, "What sort of people here?"

"Well, friend, what were the people whence you came?"

"Ah," smiled the stranger, "they were good and wise."

"Then," smiled the prophet, laughing in his eyes,

"You'll find the people here the very same."

     "Love covers a multitude of sins" (1Peter 4:8a) because love forgives and leaves justice to God.  Love looks beyond the sin to the sinner, and sinners we all are.  The only thing that makes another person's sin greater than our own is that we are not the one who did wrong or we are the one who was wronged.  

This blog post by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com.