February 1, 2018

  • The Weak Judge and Strong Surrender

    I apologize for triggering language in making my points here:

    Oh, you know how it is, always wondering if I have been merciful enough, then becoming angry that I've allowed the guilty to go free again. Many of my internal debates are in some ways about whether I've done justly enough, whether I've been bold enough to live up to my standards. But then, I also know the importance of mercy and forgiveness. How do I "Do justly and love mercy" at the same time?

    Well, for many of us, we're most judgmental when we're doing well, right? It is easy to judge the poor when you are rich, to judge the less scholarly when you're getting all A's. So we already know the first trap: being more judgmental when we are doing well. Instead, we should be more merciful when we have been given more. The strong should surrender his strength, money, and time to the weak.

    But here's something more subtle. Perhaps we are a little too merciful when our lives are not going well. We are more willing to let ourselves be abused, exploited, or mistreated when we are struggling, when we perhaps think we deserve our low state. Violate me once, shame on you, but then I'm more willing to accept violations from others once the initial violation has made me feel less worthy. Or maybe it's the maneuverings of guilt, seeking to buy penance with our money or other things, to cover our guilty steps.

    What's my point? Just because I may be down doesn't mean it's ok to kick me, or that you should join me. And just because I'm up doesn't mean that I should forget for a moment how temporary it all is, how earnings or brains or sex appeal can disintegrate so painfully quickly. Judge from your weakness, if at all, and be willing to surrender in your strength.