JUDGEMENT

               I have an issue with people judging. I love my family and I care for them and their opinions. I respect everyone, regardless of where they come from, whatever race, creed, color or religion. I respect someone until they give me reason not to. I do my best not to judge anyone. I am not perfect and there are times when my culture or past has created a schema that I put people into and I do my best to ignore those precepts and ideas and treat each encounter with a person as a blank slate. I screw up sometimes and allow grudges and the past to get in the way though. I’m not perfect and I’m not claiming to be.

            Given an example. Someone cuts me off without using their turn signal in traffic. I can be angry as heck that I was nearly in an accident because some fool decided to cut me off because he is in a hurry. My expectations would be causing me to feel that way. We went there already, this is judgment Matthew. Okay, my judgment of that person’s actions is that they were wrong for cutting me off and they didn’t use their turn signal so a police officer should be along shortly to pull them over and get them off the road and out of my way! What right do I have to demand justice? What is justice in this situation? What if that person didn’t see me because they are rushing home to handle an emergency? How would I feel if that person was on the way home to help out a family member who needed a ride to the hospital? I cannot judge that person, or their actions, because I am not in complete control or knowledge of the facts, all of them. God is the only one who knows all the variables and can truly judge anyone or anything in my opinion. Notice, I am not leaving that statement with a period. I said “In my Opinion”. I’m not even going to judge YOU if you read this and go “what a fool!” You are entitled to your own opinion, and I am entitled to mine. How should I tell you that I believe it is wrong to judge and then get offended when you judge me? If I was offended, it would be because I am judging you, for judging me…Wait, judgment is wrong? Yes, Matthew, judgment is wrong… try to keep up…

                So what if I’m SURE that the person is guilty and they did wrong and we all know it? Society blames this person and a judge and jury said that they are guilty as charged and they have been judged by society for their actions and found guilty! What then? Can you say that the person was wrong? Me? No, I can’t, but I can say that in a court of law they were found guilty. I don’t know what is in a person’s heart and mind at any given point in time, let alone during an act of committing a “sin” or “transgression” or breaking the law. We have systems in place to hold people accountable for their actions. When I die, I believe that I will go to GOD and answer for my sins, transgressions, and if the law gets a hold of me and judges me in a court for breaking the law, there too will I be judged. However, I believe that it is wrong for anyone to judge me without knowing the full extent of what was going on in every aspect at the time I act. Until then, I reserve the right to ignore the judgment others attempt to impose upon me. However, if someone should judge me or my actions, I won’t let my expectations get in the way and allow their narrow minded approach to hurt me or offend me. I won’t judge them for judging me.

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