Dog, Pig, and Pearl

"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces," said Jesus in Matthew 7:6

I've read this verse since I was a kid but never experienced (the hard way) how deep and how true was Jesus' philosophy, until just recently. It was an experience that taught me:

1. Before you talk about your values, make sure first to whom you are talking. You will never get to a point if the other party doesn't carry the same value.
2. If you insist, they may trample your value under your feet. When that happens, Jesus would say, "I told you."
3. But the stupidest thing you can do is to tell the dog that he is a dog and the pig that she is a pig.
4. And then you would be out of your mind if you get mad because the pig sniffs back at you while you try to explain what a pearl is.
5. Before the dog tears you to pieces, you'd better back off immediately. You still can be friends with a dog, can't you? True, dog is man's best friend. But, a smart man doesn't give what is sacred to a dog.

Jakarta, September 19th 2012
when it was too late to back off