Tues. Feb 2
"BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL: FOR THEY SHALL OBTAIN MERCY." (MT 5:7)
Don't Prejudge Others
Agnes Goddard writes, "The first assignment for my husband Cecil in his art class was to sketch the San Luis Rey mission in Oceanside, California. Everyone turned in a sketch. When the teacher came to Cecil's, he held it up and said, 'Who's the figure in the doorway of the mission?' Cecil said, 'That's the padre.' The teacher said, 'Don't you think he looks a little sick?' 'He could be,' Cecil responded. 'I'm an artist, not a doctor.'"
Not a day goes by without somebody doing or saying something that evokes in us the need to form an opinion about them. The idea that we have to "sort it all out" and make judgments about it, is an idea we are born with. The ancient fathers said that judging others is a heavy burden, whereas being judged by them is a light one. Once we let go of our need to judge others, we experience an incredible freedom. We are free to "obtain mercy."
Most of us aren't aware of how deeply rooted our prejudices are. We've convinced ourselves we related easily to people who are different from us. But our spontaneous thoughts, uncensored words and knee-jerk reactions reveal that our prejudices color our thinking. Strangers (people different from us) stir up fear, suspicion and hostility. They make us lose our sense of security by being just "other." What's the answer? Only when we embrace God's unconditional love for us, and begin to see those "other" people as equally loved by Him, can we build bridges over which we can walk to share God's love and enjoy His family.
Not a day goes by without somebody doing or saying something that evokes in us the need to form an opinion about them. The idea that we have to "sort it all out" and make judgments about it, is an idea we are born with. The ancient fathers said that judging others is a heavy burden, whereas being judged by them is a light one. Once we let go of our need to judge others, we experience an incredible freedom. We are free to "obtain mercy."
Most of us aren't aware of how deeply rooted our prejudices are. We've convinced ourselves we related easily to people who are different from us. But our spontaneous thoughts, uncensored words and knee-jerk reactions reveal that our prejudices color our thinking. Strangers (people different from us) stir up fear, suspicion and hostility. They make us lose our sense of security by being just "other." What's the answer? Only when we embrace God's unconditional love for us, and begin to see those "other" people as equally loved by Him, can we build bridges over which we can walk to share God's love and enjoy His family.
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