The big picture

 Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:27)

Taken literally, this saying of Jesus can lead the naïve into a normless morass in which it seems impossible to praise the good and call out evil. Jesus himself had no problem naming evils that burden hearts and destroy lives and frequently called out hatred and hypocrisy when it appeared.

“Do not judge” can hardly mean holding your tongue in the face of injustice and hatred, which in itself is a careless act which empowers all kinds of oppression. Take Ukraine, for example, or casual racism for another.

But judgment cannot be an end in itself. It must not be a life stance in which we stand over against others, separating ourselves from them, creating ever new and deeper divisions within an already fractured humanity.

For oneness in love, mutuality and unity in common care, is the mission of Jesus. The distinctions we must make between what builds up and what tears down, between what is good and helpful for humanity and all creation, and what is not—these judgments are best made in light of the big picture of what God is doing.

Jesus prayed that those who follow him may all be one. Later New Testament letters speak of God’s holy purpose, drawing all things into one, harmonious loving reality, a community of grace, the body of Christ in which each part is loved and treasured and has its role to play, it’s beauty and grace to share. Jesus called it the kingdom of God

This is quite beyond our human capacity to create, yet we contribute to God’s holy dream of loving oneness each time we seek to unite and not divide, each time we manage to overcome self-righteousness in order to reconcile, each time we choose to bless and not curse and condemn.

After all, the world and its peoples are already are one body in which what affects one affects all.

Just so, our choices about judging or forgiving, damning or blessing are really decisions about what we want for ourselves.

David L. Miller