Angie Ledbetter One of the reasons most often given by people who don't attend Mass is that they do not want to be in a building full of hypocrites. To their way of thinking, or from actual experience, these folks have dealt with Catholics and Christians who are not living the Gospel day to day. Giving out advice, just attending Mass on Sundays out of obligation, or knowing Scripture by heart does not impress the SHOSC (Stay Home on Sunday Crowd.) Likewise, pointing the finger at other's inadequacies, failings and sinfulness does nothing to make the SHOSC want to embrace Christian teaching or theology. No one likes to be judged; especially by someone they deem to be acting in a superior or sanctimonious manner. Nothing turns us off or makes us want to rebel more than to be told we're not living right by someone we would never want to imitate. A pastor who sermonizes on the sinfulness of reading pornographic material, while everyone knows he has an addiction to X-rated websites, isn't going to have an easy time gathering in new sheep to his fold. Seeing Brother Henry driving a brand new BMW or Lexus every year does not make us want to tithe to the poor through his collection baskets. When we make a habit of judging other's habits and lifestyles, we may be running the risk of turning those same folks away from a closer communion with God and the sanctifying grace of the Sacraments. To do a better job of evangelizing for Him, we need to remember the cliché about books and their covers. "…and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears." We, after all, do not have the ability to judge our fellow men's hearts. Often what we are just 100% sure of about a person is not in the least true. I've been judged to be a certain kind of person because I sport an ankle tattoo, and the reason I know that is because after getting to know me better, those people have often come back and sheepishly told me what they'd first supposed about me. Recalling that we are to judge not (Matthew 7:1 - "Do not judge, or you too will be judged.") can help us curb those criticisms we harbor about others. Even if we are correct in our assumptions and judgments, what good does it do us unless we use that knowledge to help them in some way? And here's a scary thought - psychologists have posited that the very things we fear and dislike in others, we ourselves are capable of or are currently engaged in. That makes me want to shut my mouth up and turn off judgmental thoughts immediately! My Mom has a saying that sums up the judging habit nicely, "Just remember, when you point the finger at someone else, you still have 4 fingers pointing back at yourself." When next you meet up with a SHOSC member, why not say, "Hi. How are you doing and I'm so glad to meet you," or "Is there something I can do for you today?" or "Can I help you carry those heavy groceries? I'm Mr. Smith and I'd love for you to visit our church services some day." What a change from automatically dismissing a potential friend and future Christian because of the way she's dressed, or whispering to others that, "he just has the most awful habits." Scripture gives us clear direction on judgmental behavior in Matthew 7:3 - "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" We are taught in John 8:7 what Jesus thought on this matter. "When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, 'If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.'" Isaiah 11:13. Angie Ledbetter
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