Blog

Observation

“Do not judge others.” Sounds pretty clear. But when you think that Jesus is all about ‘truth’, and you think you are a defender and proclaimer of truth, then being ‘right’ about what is true flows into judging others as to whether they are right, and this becomes the stock of your trade. The church has fallen too easily into this camp. We see things in a dualistic way, black and white, right and wrong. It makes us feel secure when we believe we are part of the tribe that has the truth, and we strengthen our resolve as we judge others who have got it ‘wrong’, according to our right. The church even judges others within the church on this basis. It kills the good news and beauty of Jesus, but we value rightness and being right above beauty.
God is into connectedness, not correctness. Right and wrong flow personally in the intimate revelation that God himself brings to the individual. My role is not to judge your rightness and to convince you that mine is right and yours is wrong. My role is to be a fellow journeyer of intimacy with God and to share this journey. It’s a posture of shared experience and encouragement not judgement and conversion to my version of truth. When you take to the seat of correctness, rightness and judgement of others, then you will personally fall under the harshness of its hammer. You will be treated as you treat. You will fall under the standard you judge by. When you become a servant of judgement you will find it to be a harsh master. God invites us to something deeper, more beautiful, more intimate, more awe and amazing than being right, it’s called intimacy with him. Here is the mystery and personal revelation that flows from participatory experience. We are now united in our journey, wherever we are on that journey, whatever shape our version of truth and being right is at. My table is now embarrassing of all to share with each other rather than judging and separating based on the lines drawn in the judgement of version of truth.

Application

I will live aware of how easily I move to the posture of judge rather than fellow journeyer. I am aware of how easily I am seduced by the security and power I find in being ‘right.’ I will not take to the seat of judgement that destroys relationships with others. I will not live under the harsh treatment of judgement, so I will avoid becoming its servant. I will live as a fellow journeyer sharing my revelation and experience as my journey brings truth and revelation to me. I will point to the free open invitation of Jesus to an intimate connection not make ‘being right’ a grade that must be passed before intimacy can be entered. I will not become a judge.

Response

Thank you that you are into me as a person who is on a journey, not a holder and pusher of your truth. Thank you that you call me away from judgement for the sake of self and for others. Thank you for your patience, thank you that you are a personal teacher, thank you that you call us to, and value deeply, intimacy not rightness.

Meditation

Meditation truth – do not judge.
Consider:
How important to you is being right, and making sure others behave according to your version of right?
How do you see the proclamation of the good news in sharing the truth about Jesus as opposed to introducing people to the person of truth?
How harshly do you judge yourself?