When we choose to respond we are choosing to not give power to our power way to a person or a situation we when choose to react often we are saying in our mental space that this person or situation is more powerful than we are and in so doing we react from fear and from that reaction we are unconsciously giving permission to this person or situation to overtly control us.

When we respond we are saying you have no power because I am choosing to take a step back and allow myself to see the situation as it is not as how my ego sees it because the ego sees everyone and everything as an attack where spirit on the other sees everything as either love or a call for love.

When we respond we are responding to love or its call which may mean simply walking away.