Tuesday, September 05, 2006

PREJUDICED CONCLUSIONS...

Good morning bloggyville!! I am feeling much better now thank you. High on paint fumes - which is probably why - but none the less, feeling better.

I have been thinking alot lately about prejudism and drawing our own conclusions of other people. And I cannot tell you how often I have caught myself looking at someone in a shop or a parking lot and judging them. Like last night for instance we were driving to gym and a young couple was taking their little girl for a walk and she was running way ahead of them and I immediately thought to myself "I would never allow my child to run so far ahead of me. Look at how busy this road is, can't they keep her closer so she'll be safer?" And before I knew it I was judging them, even though it had absolutely nothing to do with me. This morning I was listening again to a song (which I will share with you in a moment) and it struck me so hard that we are all created in God's image - and equal, and that we are not here to judge each other, but to love each other. What and who gives us the right to assume we are better than somebody else just because of the clothes we wear or the ideas we have. Somebody who lives on the street is not loved any less by God, nor am I loved more because of where I live!
Somebody with an addiction problem is not loved less by God because of that. And I am not loved more because I don't have that problem. We don't know the history or the life story of strangers we meet - yet we are so drawn by our own conclusions of them that we immediately judge them and assume they are something they are not. Can you see what I am saying.

This song also struck me because I tend to have a very high opinion of myself. And I would often think to myself that had I perhaps lived in the time of Jesus - I would have known who He was and I would never have doubted Him! How can I be so sure? I can say that so easily now, because of what I have learned - yet I was brought back down to earth when I realised that I might not have known or believed who and what He was. I may have been one of those who dismissed Him as a madman. I may have been as proud as I am now and so sure of myself that I would have been blind to the truth.

I suddenly realised that I need to rethink everythng in my life! The way I see other people, the way I see myself and the way I treat strangers that I may come into contact with throughout the day.

I no longer have such a high opinion of myself - and I am working on it everyday so that I never get to that self inflated stature that I was before. And now I try very hard to love (The biblical Agape love) everyone that I come into contact with, withut judging them or laughing at them cause of what they may be wearing or because how they speak or their religion or whatever else it may be. I try very hard to no longer judge people. I want to leave a lasting Jesus Impression on people I meet everywhere everyday. And I want to be real, genuine and true.

WIDE-EYED (by Nicole Nordeman)

Well I met him on a sidewalk
He was preaching to a mailbox
Down on 16th Ave.
And he told me he was Jesus
Sent from Jupiter to free us,
With a bottle of tequila and one shoe.
He raged about repentance .
He finished every sentence
With a promise that the end was close at hand.
I didn't even try to understand.

He left me wide-eyed
And disbelieving, disillusioned.
I was tongue tied
Drawn by my conclusions
And so I turned and walked away
And laughed at what he had to say
And casually dismissed him as a fraud
I forgot he was created in the image of my God

Well I met her in a book store
She was browsing on the first floor
Through a yoga magazine.
And she told me in her past life
She'd been some plantation slave's wife
And she had to figure out what that might mean.
She believes the healing powers of her crytals
Can bring balance and new purpose to her life
Sounds nice....

She left me wide-eyed
And disbelieving, disillusioned.
I was tongue tied
Drawn by my conclusions
And so I turned and walked away
And laughed at what she had to say
And casually dismissed her as a fraud
I forgot she was created in the image of my God


Not so long ago
A man from Galilee
Fed thousands with His bread
And His theology
And the truth He spoke
Quickly became the joke
Of educated, self inflated pharisees like me

They were wide-eyed
And disbelieving, disillusioned.
They were tongue tied
Drawn by their conclusions
Would I have turned and walked away
And laughed at what He had to say?
And casually dismissed Him as a fraud
Unaware that I was staring at the image of my God...

I guess the point I am trying to make is that everyone we meet should be treated with almost as much respect and love as we would treat God if He was to walk into our shop or home or simply down the street. For as the Bible says - "whatever you have done to the least of the [people] you have done it unto me."

God bless you all, I shall be back soon!!
MUA! MUA!

7 comments:

AngelConradie said...

hey sis- you're gone for a bit and you come back with a whopper!
very cool!

Unknown said...

Awesome post, Spooks! My brother died prematurely from having lived his life in such a way that he made bad choices for himself over an extended period of time. While I have come to terms with losing him, I never stop missing him. The one thought that haunts me though is that through the pressure of the judgments he knew people were making of him (but never admitted to it, not to them or himself) he got beaten down and worn down. It breaks my heart to think that he felt unloved and uncared for - regardless of how unacceptable his actions might have been in relation to the standards of others - too many people go through life feeling judged, unloved and alone. Fear, I think, is simply a lack of love in someone's life and we all know there is more than enough love to go around. You can only reap rich rewards for the kindness you spread. xoxo

Brigitte said...

Angel - Maybe a certain ol' lady should have a read...LOL!!!

Dawn - I am so sorry about you brother my friend. I cannot imagine the heartache you must feel missing him. I can only imagine how it would hurt if I lost my boetie. Love you!!

Karen - Yes, that is sad, but we who live in the Supernatural can change that, only with Jesus. "With Jesus I can, With Jesus I can..."

the not so "new" mom on the blog said...

Hi Spooks, That is a "whopper" (as Angel put it). I guess we all are a little guilty of judging people we do not know or commenting on their ways and means of doing things but like you say it is only right to treat everyone you meet with that same respect we have for God!

Ally said...

HI Spookie... I can only agree with my fellowbloggers that this post is all to necessary and all to real to each of us. I know how it has hurt me when others have judged me and my children, yet, I find myself so quickly falling into the same trap. I can only second your deep desire to discontinue to judge people on face value. It reminds me of that famous saying.. Never judge a man until you have walked a few miles in his moccasins..(or something like that!)

blessings

kpjara said...

This is a beautiful post Spookie. I love your writing and the way you get us to see ourselves honestly.

Brigitte said...

NMOTB - You know, yesterday I wrote such a cool comment back to you, it was even a bit funny. But blogger didn't want to keep it. So, yes we are all guilty. But thank God we have the Holy Spirit in us so we can overcome this little human "nasty" that we all have in our hearts.

Ally - HIYA!! I love that saying. I had forgotten about it though. Thanks. Oh and BTW, I did stop by your blog yesterday too and I loved your post on zeal, it was even something we prayed into last night at our prayer meeting. I tried to leave a comment there for you too - but, ja, blogger didn't want that one either! :(
I will try to pop round today sometime. Thanks for visiting me here Ally.

Kin - Wow. Coming from you Kim, that really means ALOT to me. Thank you. {{HUG}}