JUDGE NOT THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED

Okay, just be patient with me for a bit while I air out some thoughts that are beginning to gather dust in a back corner of my mind but which I am not quite ready to discard yet. And believe me, these thoughts are for ME.

In the scriptures, Jesus is quoted several times saying "Judge not, that ye be not judged." This has always filtered through the tacky, slime-covered sieves in my mind (that's a little bit too descriptive, isn't it) into "Judge i.e. put on public trial and condemn to such and such time of punishment and/or whip/flog in the public marketplace."

What if by judgement, Christ instead meant for us to be aware of forming an opinion about based on previous experiences, not necessarily reality? That is so common to us humans (I'm talking about me, baby, not necessarily you, Murray), it's almost beyond mentioning; we subconsciously form views about what we experience based on past occurrences and/or teachings. "All (put in almost anything; Republicans, homeless people, snails) are (judgement; ignorant, ill, slimy)." A badly-painted orange Datsun pickup drives by: I immediately label it "small, weak, and badly maintained." A woman waking a white toy poodle: "Snob, rich, has a pool and an old husband." A young child in a cheap umbrella stroller with snot dried on his/her face and stained clothing: "That's an (almost) neglected kid, with a lot of older siblings who aren't probably taken care of it either - that's gotta be a lower-income single mom, lives in Huachuca City."

Can you see how that could be also 'unrighteous' judgement? (Helps that all those examples are extremely NEGATIVE)

Could Christ/Heavenly Father be trying to teach us about keeping an open mind, literally NOT allowing those (for me at least) prejudiced views harden up our hearts without us (me at least) being even being AWARE of it?

Wow - wake up call for ME! And again, if this life is the opportunity to become like Christ, I am REALLY missing the boat here. When I think of someone like President Hinckley, I am so certain that he does NOT allow all these preconceived notions clutter up his view of any of the children of God he encounters here on earth. He allows everyone the chance to prove who they are/are not.

So this is either going to become a lengthy article to be submitted to the Ensign (not ever published) and Sunstone (on the 'readers comments' paged and will generate a lot of email traffic either agreeing or condemning this a Happy Valley mentality) or it now will disappear completely into that dusty old filter paper of a brain that I have and remain like old lint hanging on the clothes dryer forever.


Completely unrelated: I am just learning to LOVE the satellite music station called "Roadhouse." It has non-twangy country, great old rock, some blues - just an extremely elliptic and almost random cross-section of music. From Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" to Daryl Worley to Three Dog Night to Roomful of Blues to the Allman Brothers - and all just cool music.