"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned, forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." Luke 6:37
Ok... so I know that title is a very common saying. But it is the truth. You don't know what it on the inside of a person just by looking at them. There have been a few times that I've had goofy colored hair (check out my picture on the team page), but it just matched my goofy personality. Just because I have dyed my hair outrageous colors doesn't mean I'm a bad person. Does it? Does having a tattoo make a person evil? Is a person automatically a devil-worshipper if they have piercings other than once in their earlobes? I think not... but that is the mentality of so many today. I believe this generation is definitely headed away from that frame of mind, but not from judgement all together. There are all sorts of people in the world, and just because they look or act a little (or even a lot) different than you does not make them bad. It doesn't make them evil. It doesn't make them a terrorist. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am none of the above, but a loving, caring person, who is always concerned about the welfare of others. Does that change just because I color my hair now and then, want a tattoo, or want other piercings? No. It most certainly does not.
I work at a mental hospital, and let me tell you... the clients there have done some of the absolute worst things I've ever heard of. Worse than I could have ever dreamt up! But they aren't bad people! They have a disease affecting their mind which makes them do things without them even realizing it. It isn't a dangerous place to work. Do I always need to be alert and aware of my surroundings? Always be careful not to cross boundaries or get too comfortable with someone? Of course I do! But these aren't bad people here! It breaks my heart that people think of these wonderful human beings in this way. They are on their road to recovery! They are great people that just have a terrible illness that causes them to do most unfortunate things.
And finally... I firmly believe that NO ONE deserves to die. Yes... we will all die someday. But hopefully we will all also be living eternally in Heaven. I don't care how bad you think a person is, they do not deserve to die. That person may not seem like much to you, but to someone else, they may be a brother, a sister, a parent, a best friend... a saving grace. How would you feel if someone thought that your most loved one was worthless and killed them? You wouldn't be happy would you? Neither are their loved ones. Everyone has good in them. They may not always show it. You might think it doesn't exist. They might screw up. We are all human. We all make mistakes from time to time. Don't judge people by this. No one deserves to die, no matter how useless you think they are. They are the world to someone. If you can't find it in yourself to forgive that person and let them go, at least do it for the ones that love him/her. And plus... people can always change. My favorite word is "metanoia." It means, "Change of heart." Any one of us can have a (or several, even!) metanoia. They don't get the chance to better themselved and others if you cast them down right away and send them to their death. They are a valuable piece in this world whether you like it or not. Besides... We are all God's children. And God loves each and every one of us unconditionally for all eternity.
The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25: 40
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