When talking to people who do share deeply I am beginning to understand why Jesus told us not to judge. While behaviors can be harmful to others, it is easy to understand why they are done even if the morality behind them is still wrong if their history is understood. We can judge actions and at times the need to deal with people who commit them. That is a form of judgment. Which is necessary, yet to judge the worth of another human being, or to give up on them is not something we are called to do as Christians. That is what mercy is. Mercy is mercy because it is not deserved, but a gift of grace. The more we understand, the deeper we see, the easier it is to show mercy, even if something needs to be done to protect others.
The seeking after revenge is not good for the one who desires it, yet it is a lesson that has not been learned by us as a species. We see the fruit of hatred of any kind and its effect on our world, yet we ignore the wisdom of our religious traditions that show us a way out. I am no further along; over and over again I am brought to the humiliation of seeing that below my so called Christian exterior there is a person who could easily slip into a warlike position. I am glad that I have this struggle, for if it repressed it, it could one day come forth like a raging volcano. Self knowledge is important, the more we see ourselves, the less we need to judge others, at least as far as their worth is concerned.
Br. Mark Dohle, OCSO
Holy Spirit Monastery
