One Last Thought

Yes, I know I said I was done... HAHAHAHA! Thinking never ceases. Anyway, it is about human psychology and judging other people. Let me preface this next rant with this. Yes, I judge other people. Everyone does. However, I do find more satisfaction over analyzing others and their behaviors than judging. So here is an observation.

I always find it amusing that when people say cruel and disparaging remarks about others, often in a lame attempt to build self-esteem, they do not EVER seem to correlate the behavior they are criticizing in others with their own behavior. It is entirely a "Thou dost protest too much" moment. For example, someone looks at another person and in shocked self-righteousness proclaims what an evil and horrible person X is for doing (fill in the blank). Unless you are talking about outright killing or brutally abusing someone, there is nothing under the sun that is truly worse than anything else.

When I was in church last week, there was a great illustration about "hands." It basically was a vignette about the evil and selfishness that all of our hands accomplish but there was one set of hands that paid the price for all other hands. In an attempt to make themselves feel better, often times people try to categorize and assign degrees of intensity to various sins. The fact of the matter is that none of us are truly "good" people. We all struggle with our own demons. For some it is addiction, others cheating, others laziness and so on... I have my own personal struggles. It has been in those struggles and wrestling with God and my humanity, that I have learned to recognize the humanity in others and how all of us are in a constant cosmic struggle. To claim that any of us are "better" or more "righteous" than others is plain ignorant...and to be quite honest a sin in and of itself.

We only have a small glimpse into other's lives. What might seem so obvious at first glance is quite different when one cares enough to dig a little deeper. Sometimes that person that is so easy to hate is the one that needs the most love.

So I challenge, the next time you look at someone and despise them, ask yourself why that is. Is it that they are actually "deserving" of your harshness, or are they bringing out an insecurity in you that you want to squash by placing yourself above that person on an intellectual, emotional, and/or spiritual level. And no matter what your answer is, challenge yourself to examine your own life before judging others. It isn't your place. It is between that person and God. No matter your faith, placing faith in the divine to rework your soul is the most healing and learning act a person can do. Make your life right with God and that will ultimately bring you in harmony with those around you.

Peace during this Christmas season.