Judge Me Not

Heaven on earth is a place and time in which we suspend judgement. Yes, if we take a moment to not judge anyone anywhere, we can visit the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Can you do it? Can you look at a beautiful loved one and not judge them as good? Or look at someone we hate and not judge them as bad?

Who am I to judge? Only God can judge. Really, who else can know every single moment and motivation that created an event, and be able to judge it? What may seem right to one person may seem evil to another.

Let’s review an example. A mother who lost her job needs to feed her baby and has no money for formula. So, she steals it. From the perspective of the store owner, not knowing all of the details, feels that she was wrong and should be punished. You who are reading this might instead look from a different perspective and think it was justified, especially since the store owner makes a profit on everything sold and probably could afford the theft.

Exercise on Judging Good versus Bad

Now it is your turn. Stop reading and come up with a scenario where an event might have two different perspectives in which one is “good” and one is “bad”. You may start to feel a stretch here, as you open your mind.

The next part may be very challenging for you. I only ask that you play along, and don’t take it so seriously that you stop reading. If it begins to trigger you, causing anxiety, you can always stop reading. Alternatively, you can read but not play, and go to the next section. You always have a choice!

Exercise on Polarity

We are addicted to polarity – so much so that we judge according to the addiction. Polarity is the result when a person can only see two sides to an argument or position. Up or down. Hot or cold. Male or female. Conservative or liberal. Choice or pro-life. Love or hate. Nothing in between, no grey areas. We choose our side and judge us as right and good and judge the “other” as wrong and bad.

Now stop reading and come up with one area in your thinking where you know you are right and others are dead wrong. Notice how you think about the “other”. What stereotype are they? How do you feel about them right now? Where do you feel it in your body? Is it making you feel miserable?

The Origin of Misery

We are the ones who create misery. Not the outside world imposing misery upon us. We create our circumstances through our choices. It is us who gets to choose how we judge a situation or a person. It is us who chooses who is right and who is wrong. But what would happen if we stopped? What would happen if we did not listen to the opinions of others, and instead did our thinking, based on what we know from our experiences and knowledge? What would happen if we did a deep dive into all the opposing information on a topic that we are passionate about, so we could learn how the other side thinks and why?

Deep Dive Exercise

If you are ready, go ahead and do this exercise. You might be surprised about what you find… if you can keep your mind open and refrain from judgement.

At this point we must also acknowledge that we do not have all the facts. There is no way to have all the experiences of everyone or to know all of the events that have led up to an event, even if we commit to a deep dive. Once we acknowledge that, we can conclude that we are not perfect, and our position is just an opinion, based on partial knowledge. We must admit that we could be “wrong”.

Ouch that hurts! But there is a way around feeling shame, or the need to blame others (including me for daring to write this). We can take that higher perspective.

An ancient Perspective

I like the Message translation of the Bible, since it speaks in modern English, and is more understandable. Matthew 5:45-47 says, “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that.”

The higher perspective is acting as God would have us act. The higher perspective is to act like God. Don’t judge, don’t hate, no eye for an eye. God created you out of Love, pure Love. When you then share that love with others and give it freely away to others, especially those you disagree with or who you would judge as “bad”, then you are shining your light on them. And when you do that, maybe, hopefully, they will open their hearts and minds, and stop judging you too.

And this is an example of Heaven on Earth.

May it be so.

Amen.