If you want to keep peace in the community, judge yourself and no one else. ~John Trithemius
Whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk in the same way as he walked. ~1 John 2:6
One of the beautiful things about the church year and living out the liturgical seasons is that we travel the depth and breadth of the human experience together. Each season is filled with common experiences: joy (Christmas!), daily life (Ordinary Time!) and longing (Advent!). During Lent, we are invited to participate in a season of vulnerability. This is our collective opportunity to share our pain, struggles (including our temptation to judge), mistakes and fears with each other as siblings in Christ so that we know and be known, love and be loved, forgive and be forgiven.
Isn’t it interesting that a season built on repentance and self~reflection also provides us opportunities to distract ourselves by judging our neighbor’s piety? Without always realizing it, many of us judge the reverence (or perceived lack of reverence) of someone in our community: a sibling in Christ, a fellow church member or an acquaintance on Facebook. We look at an Ash Wednesday selfie and convey our disapproval at the public display of this holy marking by making sure we do not click the “like” button. We overhear someone during coffee hour mention their pre~Maundy Thursday pedicure appointment, and we do our best to keep our face politely benign while internally congratulating ourselves for bringing our humble, un~pedicured toes to the foot~washing liturgy. But judging how others travel this holy season does not help us walk as Jesus did. It is simply spiritual busywork that damages our relationship with the Body of Christ, building partitions between us and them, instead of opening ourselves up to what God might be revealing through them.
For Reflection
Is there an area of judgment you are struggling with this Lent? How could you replace these thoughts with an act of vulnerability?
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