Stop judging and
you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
I am struck by a comic/tragic dimension of this teaching: Although I know that judging others is entirely wrong, and that it usurps God’s preeminent authority, I do it anyway. I am so much more enlightened than the millions who don’t even know they should not judge others; but that enlightenment has so far done me little good.
Recently I read a book about the beginning of World War I. It occurred to me that, the more I know about a complex situation the less opinionated I am. I am shocked by the violence and horror of World War I but I am not inclined to judge the “sleep walkers” who brought it about. They were only mortals like me, with limited understanding and little scope for effective change. There were ideologues among them but none worse than the people I see in state and national governments today. Each was serving his own nation as a true patriot; none took any particular pleasure in warfare.
We have a saying, “Never judge anyone until
you’ve walked a mile in his shoes.” In other words, the more you know the less
opinionated you become. The Lord, whose knowledge and compassion are limitless,
has full authority to judge; but seems reluctant to condemn anyone. Rather, he causes his sun to shine on the good
and the bad; his rain falls on the just and the unjust.
In prayer and the practice of daily
examen, we become aware of how quick we are to judge others; experience
teaches us how often we judge wrongly. Wisdom teaches us to refrain from
judging. She says, “Let it go; let it be; God will work it out in God’s own
time.”
We can learn not to judge others; it takes a
lifetime. We can learn to forgive others as we have been forgiven. Taking God’s
hand with one hand and the cross with other, we follow where he leads us.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.