Better than you

Luke 18:9-14

          Perhaps one of the surest ways to determine if you are self righteous is to ask yourself if you look down on someone else. I will confess to everyone that in some ways I am. If you are an avid reader you know exactly with whom I struggle. Not that I am proud of it, I am surely not. And while not minimizing it, I am aware that it is something I struggle with and am striving not to be.

           That is my way of introducing us to the fact that we are all a bit self righteous.  Of course it is easy to pick out those that really think they are better than everyone else.  Somehow though we may miss the boat when it comes to our own failings. 

     When you are a member of a group (gay or excommunicated catholic, both, or more) that is apparently already at the bottom of the heap you'd think you couldn't be self righteous. Yet there are people that would claim "I am gay and born this way" and take that as license to act any way they please. It is not a lcense to be self rightoeus about our behaviour. Yes, God loves you but realize God loves everyone else at least as much as he loves you. We may have been born this way but it is not a licensce to act out, be promiscous, hurt others or even look down on others. 

        No one is immune.  No one, save our Lord. Thankfully, joyfully, we are given a lot of love and lot of latitude. We should be generous with our love, patience and latitude too. 

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The 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. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” But 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!” I 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.’