“Human beings are judging machines. . . . [Judgment] is a common, repeated occurrence in our day-to-day lives. . . . When we judge, we position ourselves in a favorable light, looking for any edge we can find to prop ourselves up. Or we judge because it makes us feel powerful, even if no on recognizes our dominance. Our quickness to judge reveals a gap in our apprenticeship to Jesus.”- Rich Villodas
“But the people there did not welcome [Jesus] because he was headed to Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them?’ But Jesus turned and rebuked them.”- Luke 9:54-55 (NIV)
In Chapter 10 (“Our Judgments”) of The Narrow Path, Rich Villodas notes the quickness with which we categorize people. Without knowing their stories. Or anything else about them, for that matter. Hence, Rich sees it as tragic that assumption grows into full-fledged pronouncement without really knowing another person’s heart.
Above all, Rich views smartphones and social media as the fuel for this impulse. Certainly, our devices do some good. However, the author contends, these devices disciple many people into dehumanizing judgementalism.
One reason Rich find judging so pervasive is that it helps us classify people into categories. In turn, that helps us make sense of the world as we see it. In addition, Rich adds a special caution for Christians:
“Religious folks, especially, tend to carry a black-and-white dualism that makes it easy to determine who is in and who is out of God’s favor. But humanity is far more complex than that. We are all a mixed bag. We don’t see others with the clarity we think we do. . . . Jesus wants to teach us how to withhold judgment.”
In conclusion, Rich counsels, Christians must be known for their:
- grace, not judgment.
- love, not faultfinding.
- loving discernment, not smug criticism.
Jesus commands us to do these things.
Today’s question: What Bible verses help us avoid functioning as judging machines? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Every judgment = a self-judgment”