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Fast from judging others; Feast on the Christ dwelling within them.
It's just that the quote from the optional Lent poem caught my eye - it's so easy to say, and so hard to actually do, don't you think? I remember taking little baby Son 1 on the Newcastle Metro with a new Christian friend, and making some ratty comment about an obvious fare-dodger. When this young woman asked me, very innocently: 'Didn't Jesus say that he we can leave the judging to him?', she really brought me up short. I wouldn't have thought that I judged people, but here was evidence that I was doing just that.
There are sayings all around the world about not judging someone you don't understand - "you have to walk a mile in someone else's shoes" comes to mind, but there are lots of other good ones. This poem takes it even further, if you follow Christ - not only do you need to attempt to understand, but you need to recognise that Jesus is in that person! If I truly understood this, I'm sure I would behave differently, when a driver behind me honks angrily, or when teenagers in my sons' schools smoke and drink... Jesus is there, with those people, loving them. What am I doing?
4 comments:
So true, but sometimes hard!
So true but hard to do sometimes. Thanks for sharing! I'd love to read the rest of the poem
Very true, and difficult to refrain from doing. With impatient car drivers I try to imagine a scenario that makes them behave in this way, such as rushing to hospital as wife about to give birth. It makes me smile and seems less irritating then.
Oh Floss, I can SO relate! My blog pix are fewer, I cut back on my posts a bit, they are all within the week but never the same day due to caregiving constraints, and blog commenting tends to be very sporadic lately. Too many needs, too little time - too true? :) No judging here. Just a lot of appreciating your thought-provoking post, your continuing this sweet tradition for our online Lent reflections, and the joy of knowing a sweet sister so far away in the world's eyes and yet so close in our Lord's eyes. Have a blessed and peaceful week! :)
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