Judge Not

I'm finding myself less and less inclined to judge these days. But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me first tell you why.

When I first stepped back from the church I was brought up in and forward into another, I had my eyes opened. I learnt a lot about other Christians, and that thinking someone is "wrong", that you have the "truth", is not necessarily right! I discovered that God's church is wider and deeper and more complicated than I ever imagined. And that I had a lot still to learn.

When I stopped attending both churches and started looking around me at ordinary everyday folk, I found God in many more places than I'd imagined. I found him in pagans, in athiests, in street kids, in people I had the right to hate. I learnt that He shows up in unexpected places (in the words of Narnia, "He's not a tame lion!"), and sometimes doesn't show up where you'd expect Him to be, like the Sunday service.

Seeing this, knowing this, I don't feel I have the right to judge people. I don't know what's going on in their heads, their hearts, their souls. I don't have the right to condemn their actions, their choices, their journeys. And I sure as heck can't judge their views (blogging taught me that, thanks!).

It makes me a non-witnesser of sorts. I can't go bash someone over the head with my interpretation of God, the Bible and religion anymore. I'm not even going to try! Fire and brimstone evangelism? No thanks. Door-to-door knocking? Not me. Stand on the street corner and proclaim a message? You wouldn't catch me dead doing it! Just live, follow and trust that it's enough? Yup, that's what you'll find me doing.

So go on - follow your journey, wherever it leads you, whatever form it takes. You ain't going to get no judgement from this corner.