It seems to me lately that there is a noticable lack of compassion in everyday life. Each day I encounter people who seem to think it is acceptable to stand in judgement over others. The issues can be anything! I've heard judgemental comments about just about everything: a persons clothing, their food choices, the town they live in, their choice of college, what they do on their lunch hour, what businesses they frequent, how they cut their hair, what cellphone plan they have.......it goes on and on.
And the interesting part is that often, these same folks who place themselves in judgment over other people are themselves completely devoid of any self awareness. They have simply placed themselves over other people around them in judgement, they KNOW they're right, and they display no compassion for others whatsoever. Their own harshness, judgementalism, and frankly, their own fear of life in general, which fuels this judgementalism is lost on them. It almost seems like they have never done a self-examination of conscience. They do not think before they speak.
If it sounds as if I myself am "judging" this type of person, in a way, that may be true. Because unfortunately I have caught myself displaying this same type of behavior. I have definitely shoved my politics and my "healthy life" choices down people's throats in conversation. Now that I have been on the other side of the equation, and have observed it so often happening to others, I realize that I too, indulged in this mean and nasty, unnecessary behavior. Recognizing this in myself has made me see it in others.
I am frustrated with all of us!
The Big Guy says in the book of Matthew, chapter 7, "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgement you make, you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get." Frankly, that's a little scary. Think of it. The same rigid lack of slack you have NOT been cutting your peers, Jesus says that exact measure will be applied to YOU. I'm not sure about anyone else, but for ME that's a wake up call! Yipes!
Not just that, but I don't want to be the type of person who verbally cuts people down all the time. Think to yourself how that FEELS when it happens to YOU. Well, that's how the other person feels when you criticize them. How many of these things that we blather on about and cut others up for are really all that important?
Food for thought.
