Looking Down My Nose
Ever notice how easy it is to rationalize your own failings while cluck-clucking at those of others? I am personally quite skilled at this particular kind of hypocrisy. (Luckily, Cookie is quite skilled at pointing out this fault of mine so I can’t get away with it.)
Here’s the truth: when other people screw up, it is a prime opportunity to put “Do unto others…” into practice.
Do you want to be branded by your worst moments? Do you want them thrown in your face forever after? Wouldn’t you need your friends the most when you’ve fallen to your lowest? At the heart-level, the opposite of judgment is forgiveness. In action, it’s encouragement. Forgive easily. Give space to wallow in grief. "Do unto others" has lost its impact with repetition, but what if we did it? Forgiveness is a big topic for another series, but at the very least, what if we put as much effort into being as understanding and magnanimous about other people's failings as we are about our own?
Maybe the best thing we can do is to really, really believe that it could have been us. It’s easy to identify someone’s missteps and to imagine that in the same situation, I’d have acted differently. It’s far more helpful to imagine I would have done just the same. It will help me empathize, and keep me from feeling superior or judgmental. The fact is, I am just as fallible, and if I haven’t done just that same stupid thing, I will one day do one stupider. And when I do, I will need gracious friends.
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