Sunday I preached about unfairly judging other people. One direction I almost went with the sermon had to do with our being essentially the same as everyone else. Although we create barriers to separate ourselves from others, we are not all that different. We all love, cry, laugh, worry, grieve… The list could go on. Think of all emotions you feel in a day or a week or a month. Think of the circumstances in your life that make you feel certain these emotions.
When we have a difficult interaction with another person, whether it’s someone we know well or a total stranger, our natural tendency is to mirror the way he or she interacts with us. We answer a smile with a smile and a sharp word with a sharp word. There is an old saying that people are not bad. Rather, they are broken. The next time you find yourself in a difficult interaction with another person, try a different approach. Consider what might be causing this person to act this way. Whatever is causing this person to act this way is likely similar to something you have experienced. Try empathy instead of mirroring negativity. Try countering negative with positive, and see if that doesn’t make room for God to work.