Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Judge and Juror

Judge not.. Lest ye be judged. Strong words... It's hardly surprising. The Bible is a treasure throve of strong words.
That scripture and those words have been reveberating in my head for the last ten minutes or so. I can't help remembering how many people and situations I did judge consciously and unconsciously.
A wise man once said, don't judge me until you've walked a mile in my shoes. It's easy to draw conclusions about someone or something without considering it might be wiser to hold off until you know the full story.
I am older now... An adult.... I remember how right and wrong, good or bad, was so easy to spot... I drew lines in the sand with a lot of preconceived notions of how the world and the life around me should be. I realize now those lines aren't so clearly defined.
I have come to realize that people and situations I judged in the past should have been looked at through the lens of empathy. If I tried to see things from their point of view maybe I would have had a clearer understanding why they behaved and took the decisions they did.
Don't get me wrong.. No one has an excuse for wrong doing. The yorubas have a saying that nkan ti o da ko da. Ko loruko meji which means whats bad is bad. It doesn't have two names.
Life is journey of choices. And it's the choices we make that determine how well or how bad our life turns out.
And the only way I feel we can make the right choice is by praying to the one who created choice to release grace upon us to always go the right way. And when he does release that grace look at those who make wrong choices with empathy and not derision or a pontificating and holier than thou attitude.
You could try praying for them instead of judging them. Try understanding them instead of abandoing them. Think about it... If God abandoned us.. Even though he probably has good cause to do so, where would we be?
Road kill probably for the devil and his minions. Judge not lest ye be judged.
When next you have an opportunity to condemn a person.. Why not pause and try and see things from that person's point of view? And if you can't and all else fails you could pray.
I remember when Eminem released the song cleaning out my closet. He literally hung his mother out to dry. But am willing to bet now that he is a parent he sees things differently and realizes it wasn't that easy for his mum to raise him and his siblings. Which is why I believe he recanted and sang another song apologizing and hailing her.
Judge not ... Least ye be judged. Life is never clear cut. Think on these words... Thank you.
Jesus is Lord 

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