“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” Matthew 7:1-2 (New Living Translation)
I remember reading what was said to be an old Hindu proverb. A bad person was told to go out and search for one good person. The searcher came back and reported that they had gone over the whole world and could not find a single good person. All the people they encountered had flaws that prevented them from being good.
A good person was charged with the task of finding a bad person. In time the searcher returned and reported that they had traveled far and wide and was unable to locate a single bad person. They said that they had found those who were misguided, hurt, and lacking in knowledge. But in all their travels they could not find a single bad person.
The thing that made the difference was the perspective used by the person who was looking.
So often I am guilty of being the first searcher I talked about, “Oh, that person supports ______. They have to be a _______.” “Oh, they belong to that political party. That means they are ______.” How would I like to be judged by some of the less than stellar attributes of my own life?
But I will not give up my belief that all people. regardless of how mean-spirited or wrong I believe them to be, are created to be good.
We live in a very divided time. Most of us find it so easy to apply labels to “those” people who do not whole-heartedly buy into the way we view things. But as much as I find myself being drawn into that same approach, I do not believe things are that cut and dry.
Yes, there are mindsets that cause people to act in ways that hurt others. I will stand against bigotry, homophobia, sexism, racism, misogyny, and prejudice. I will raise my voice and give my support in ways that I am able to protect those being hurt by these attitudes while trying to change these unskillful behaviors in those who are harming others. But I will not give up my belief that all people, regardless of how mean-spirited or wrong I believe them to be, are created to be good. When they hurt others, it is usually because they themselves have been hurt. Also, in harming others, they are further harming themselves.
What if I can keep aware of how I want others to give me forgiveness and understanding even in those times that I am not aware I am doing wrong? What if I can be quick to give that same treatment to others? Are my actions making the world a more loving or less loving place?
Think about it.
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