From Henri Nouwen's "Here and Now":
"Imagine your having no need at all to judge anybody. Imagine your having no desire to decide whether someone is a good or bad person. Imagine your being completely free from the feeling that you have to make up your mind about the morality of someone's behavior. Imagine that you could say: 'I am judging no one!' Imagine--wouldn't that be true inner freedom?" (60).
"But--we can only let go of the heavy burden of judging others when we don't mind carrying the light burden of being judged!" (61).
This is difficult to do because we are often surrounded by people who are abusive, manipulative, or who are so emotionally unhealthy as to be destructive to others. A part of me cannot suspend judgment even if I do recognize that such a suspension is necessary because it brings freedom to the self (and to others to, but more to the self). My conclusion? I think that Christianity is a faith that asks for a lot, and it is a faith that requires of its adherence a whole lot more of giving away of self than any other belief system (religious or not).
Agreed. Like where it says that if someone hits you, you should turn the other cheek. It seems dumb to give them the other cheek to be slapped. What are they, masochists? Walking away or fighting back seems a better solution.
ReplyDelete:) sigh. that passage requires a lot of exegetical work. i think. :):)
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