It Doesn't Always Matter What I Think

When you think of words like weak, poor, cripple, looser, deaf, blind, one arm, hand foot or leg, mentally challenged; what comes to you mind?

Are you tempted to evaluate in a less then positive way?

On the other hand, when you hear words like macho, winner, athletic, strong, competent, well educated,  honor student, gold metal winner, wealthy, capable; what goes through your mind? 

Does your mind come to some form of attention?  As if to mentally congratulate them?

I am wondering, about this, because of my own instincts, not all that comfortable, about some of my immediate assessments  sometimes.

What I am realizing, in this less busy more quiet time of life, is how we have grown up in a culture that grades things and people.  We have learned, through a long history of traditions and attitudes on, how think.

Our worldview has been spun into huge false assumptions. The assumption is strong is good, weak is less than desirable. 

It all started with the Pharisees and Sadducees; and probably way before that.

The Image that come to my mind is in the story of the tax-collector and the Pharisee praying along side each other — but not together. 

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ¹⁰‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. ¹¹The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. ¹²I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” ¹³But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’(Lk. 18)  

Who of us has not felt somewhat superior to another?  

But Jesus calls a spade a spade.  In His teachings he is quite clear about those who wear their egos on their sleeves. Or simply in the privacy of their minds.

We all come before God like the tax collector; knowing our failures and phony thinking.  We just don’t admit it to ourselves, or to others. 

What I am learning about myself is that as much as I desire not to be discriminating and unkind I fail sometimes.

What has happened to me a lot these days,  is when I begin to yield to this temptation, something in me reverses my thought.  I can’t really explain it.  But let me give you an example:

I was watching a tennis match the other night and for some reason i began to think some unfounded thoughts about this girl’s body language, facial expressions and her masculine movement.  

Instantly my mind call me to attention.  ‘You don’t know her.  You can’t judge her. She is a child of God.  You shut up.’

This has happened more than a few times lately.  Where I think of someone I particularly don’t like and my mind say something like ‘well maybe she doesn’t like you either.’

Or I don’t like the way someone is speaking.  And my mind reminds me that I’ve spoken the same way.  

The interesting thing is, I don’t mine being censured.  I actually like it.  It reminds me that I am not as honorable as I would like to think I am.  And I realize that I have a lot of work to do.