Judgement

I wrote about my two grandma perspective in 2016, how those two ladies taught me to value differences and unique perspectives.  Those two women taught me we all have differences - that there is more than one way to skin a cat.

So it only feels natural to come around to judgement, since we've covered perspectives and acceptance.  Judgement is the evil twin sister of nonacceptance. She wears her hair up in a tight bun, with a collared shirt buttoned to the top, and a long wooden pointer in her hand.  Judgement is the matronly lady, that looks over the top of her horned rim glasses, slicing and dicing our every move.  Judgement of ourselves comes across as self doubt and guilt.  Judgement by others can mean bullying, harsh criticism and self consciousness. Oh yes, that girl judgement, she's quite the deal.  But judgement doesn't always look like that, does it?  I mean, what about the judgement that lives amongst Christians?  We like to say that we love our Lord, that we work to extend our faith and share in caring for our fellow man.  But goodness me, there we are pointing out everyone else's sins and blindly not looking within.  

Judgement is not an easy word to swallow. Well, I mean, it can be easy, if we go about casting judgement on people daily, assuming we are walking on water (and might I remind you only one person did that, and we hung Him on a cross).  We get out the measuring stick, the stick we had custom built for our life, and we prop it right up against others.  And we stand by that stick and point out all the ways others fall short.  But we don't actually say it's "judgement," we like to say we are helping others out.  That by pointing out their wrongs, we are making it right.  We like to say we are carrying out our values, because surely they are the right values to hold near and dear.   We like to say that we are walking in the footsteps of Christ, living our life like him.  And if someone isn't following the footsteps that we think need followed, we point that out.  But folks, I don't care which way you slice and dice it, that's judgement.   

I am not innocent in this.  I've passed judgement, sometimes I'm not even aware I do it.  I might look at a situation, and judge a family on their interfamily dynamics, because it doesn't fit my measuring stick.  I know I've judged people for their personal decisions.  I know I've looked at individuals with different life choices than mine and thought to myself, "Man that's not how it should be."  I'm trying to be better about it.  I don't want to be the judge, I am grateful for grace, because I am not a perfect human being.  I want that for everyone, and what a sweet relief it is to know that I have no business judging people, just as they have no business judging me.