As we approach the Christmas season, I find myself surrounded by subtle, and not so subtle messages of "more". Everywhere I turn are ads, posters, billboards and even messages arriving beside my email and among my Facebook posts. This bombardment of "more" has resulted in me thinking about what we need less of in this world. Certainly the list is a long one, and could provide me with a year's worth of posts on this blog, but the one that keeps coming to the surface for me is judgement. The world needs less judgement.
I see this judgement played out in a variety of ways, but there are two that are the most prevalent in our world today. One is a relatively recent phenomenon which I refer to as the categorization of sin. Among many of my Christian friends, it appears that homosexuality is somehow a greater sin than any other sin. I don't recall ever reading or learning that sin had a number of levels, and that some sin were more egregious than others, and yet more and more often it seems, I find Christians identifying homosexuality as a sin that is somehow greater than any of the other sins of which one might be guilty. I find the notion that anyone's sin could be greater than your own to be offensive. We are all sinners. None more or less guilty than the other. We are all sinners. Regardless of how you think or feel about homosexuality, it is no greater or less of a sin than anything you (or I) might do on any given day. Why do we find it necessary to single out a particular sin? Perhaps all of us would benefit from reflection on Matthew 7:1-2 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (NIV)
The second way I see judgement played out today is in the way we speak about our political leaders. Although leader-bashing is far more rampant in the United States, we Canadians are guilty of our share as well. There was a time when respect for the office of the President (or Prime Minister) trumped our personal feelings or who we voted for. Once elected, the leader was the leader, and as such deserved the respect of those he led. Of late, leader-bashing has taken on an ugly and personal tone. Whether it is about President Obama or Prime Minister Harper, it is clear there are many who freely and easily separate the man from the office, and then hurl insults that would have a 6th grader on the playground in trouble with his teacher. History will determine the merit of these leaders over time, but each time I hear them criticized, I cringe a little, as regardless of how it is framed, it is the office of the President, or the office of the Prime Minister they are criticizing. No wonder we are quickly becoming the laughing stock of the rest of the world. This is particularly sad when you consider that voter turnout in both countries in the two most recent elections was 55% in the United States and 61% in Canada. Just over half of all eligible voters were willing to go to the polls and exercise a fundamental right. This too, evidences a lack of respect for the office in particular, and democracy in general.
It is not my intent to tell you what you should believe about homosexuality, or how you should voice your political opinion....it is simply my intent to suggest that the world needs less judgement. My parents taught me the importance of "walking a mile in someone's shoes" before making judgements about their actions. We could all benefit from using that filter before we condemn someone's sinfulness, or cast aspersions on someone's character. The world needs less judgement.
