Reflections on Sunday’s Worship by Rev. Meg Jiunnies
Makes me laugh at myself when I realized that instantly I thought: “Yes, Thomas! You tell everyone not to judge others!” I might have been away on Sunday, but even listening to the message, my default reaction was that the message was really for all of you people -- not me!
Thomas’ message was so timeless. Did Adam and Eve secretly judge one another? I think we can assume so. Seems to be a very human quality. Thomas provided us with the response we want to think we have: look upon others through the eyes of Jesus, with the knowledge that every person is precious to God.
That is what I want to do. But what I’ve found is that I fall short so many times. I make snap assessments, color my own responses based on what I assume, attribute motivations to others of which I have no real proof. Fortunately, a little bit of age on one will teach you over and over how wrong you can be. So here is what I do when I’m wise enough not to lean on my own judgement: I get to know the person. I want to know who they love, how they spend their time, what they have learned in life. Surprisingly (or not), I often find that knowing these things help me respect others, like them, and eventually get a glimpse of what God finds so precious.
None one can be reduced to just the groups we like, the clothes we wear, the politics we espouse, the hobbies we have or the church we attend. Every person is a complicated mixture of personality and experience, along with our choices. We are so much more than that: we are the beloved of God. Thanks be to God!