Treat them well

My father taught me three ways to size up a stranger that never fail. A good handshake and squared look in the eye. How children react to the person. And how dogs feel about them. This video falls squarely in the last camp.

I often wonder why children and dogs are on that list. Recently I read blog post that pointed me down a path of possible answer. I would link to it if I could recall where it was, not bookmarking a mistake on my behalf. The blogger discussed the meaning behind the Bible passage Mathew 25:45, and I will quote the version that I believe she used (King James):

"Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me."

It is the terms of judgment, the final judgement, and is very simple. You are judged based on how you treat others. Not just others, but the lowest of intellect, the poorest, the sickest. The "least" of society. If you are cruel to the lowest, you are cruel to all. There is no differences, no boundary or no strata separating anyone.

Watching this video with that frame of reference, I found a satisfying conclusion. What I am really looking for when I use a dogs behavior to help judge a stranger is an indication of how that person would treat a dog. If you are cruel to animals, you are cruel to all. I suspect the opposite holds true.

The next time you have an opportunity to help someone, even the least of someones, grab it. You may or may not believe in a final judgement as described in the Bible, but you will have an earthly judgement that comes from within.