Ed, my old neighbour from Saskatchewan, had hopes that I, “would grow up,” in his words. When I told him a couple of my resolutions for 2016, he blurted out, “Those are just plain silly!” He then had a question for me that he has asked me before. “What kind of dumb thinking is that?” I knew it had to come, because my old neighbour had been very pleasant during the holiday time. Now that we are into the new year, Ed’s tolerance is back to normal.
I tried to explain to Ed that what we see out the window and in other people is mainly about what we choose to see. Our thoughts, feelings and attitudes are reflected in how we see the world and others. Some folks you say good morning to will snap back, "What's good about it?" In the coming year, I had told Ed I would remember that what I see is a reflection of myself. What I see out the window is not all there is to see. I will always have a limited view of what and who I can see. There is more to see if I am willing to look and there will be things about people only God sees. It is important to make the best of every opportunity while looking out the window and looking at other folks. In 2016, I will try to look more with acceptance and remember the world is already full of judges ready to find fault with what and who they see.
Ed was certain some people are plainly rude and unfriendly. He said people need to be able to react in justified anger and because of reasonable grievances. I said we often do react in anger and with grievance, but those who are rude and unfriendly do not care. After we have expressed our justifiable anger and reasonable grievances, we will not feel peace or satisfaction for long and, usually, it just leaves a bad taste in our mouths. We choose to be a fault finder, no one forces us to be one. Everything we see, think, say or do reacts on us like a boomerang. Ed thinks that it is silly not to judge anything or anyone. I asked Ed, “Do you want others judging you or accepting you just as you are?” He said there was nothing wrong with him.
Jesus talked about judging this way, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You, hypocrite. First take the plank out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
James said, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge (God) the one able to save and destroy. Who are you to judge your neighbour?”
