Philippians 2:1-4
There is an Native American expression that tries to convey the evil of being judgemental, it says that before we judge someone, we should first walk a mile in their moccasins. That's clearly not an exact quote but you get the idea. The notion of not being judgemental is not necessarily a Christian one but it is a universal one. In judging others to build ourselves higher, we actually diminish ourselves with a truly false sense of quality. We are never to judge. As Pope Francis stated, "who am I to judge?" How beautiful.
I recall that my mother had a similar journey to me although she died way too soon to know. As a good and faithful Catholic woman, she was tormented by the fact that she had sought a divorce from her husband. Not only was there internal torment, there was judgement and abuse at the hands of the 'holy women' of the church. She was marginalized and kicked to the curb as unworthy, sinful and not in line with Catholic doctrine. She was anathema to many. She was a hero to her children.
Little did my mother know that her sweet young son fought his own internal torment even if it took decades to identify in a coherent way; even if it took decades to formulate and say aloud to himself. I too was anathema and struggled to be a good and faithful servant while knowing that God was on my side and that God loved me no matter what. I not only failed to realize that I was gay but I failed to separate the punitive and wrong hearted doctrines of my faith from the love and charity of my creator. I sought the former, found an uneasy bond and then found complete joy in the latter.
I find a great deal of anger in my heart at times for the Roman church and the actions of the humans that run it or people who profess their allegiance to it. This would then be a form of confession for my own judgement of them. We all are human and prone to sin by emulating worldly paradigms instead of the love and peace of God. The church would be no different even if I choose to think they should be better. Even if they proclaim themselves to be better. We are all human. The Roman church is in reality no better and especially, no better loved than anyone else. We are all loved equally.
Our journeys cannot progress lamenting the past or wallowing in self pity for being wronged or by laying blame for this or that. We must cast others journey's aside because after all, it is their journey. We must not judge any one's journey and we must appreciate the difficulty they must have while always continuing on our own.
I pray that we find encouragement in Christ and in the love of God, certainly not in someone else's stumble or fall. We are all certain to fall at one point or another, in one way or another. Let us maintain our humility and proceed in love.
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
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