Hold Your Horses

I attended my friend’s church last Saturday. The sermon was important for a number of reasons. He started out talking about the massive amount of love there is out there for each one of us. Then he proceeded to discuss the ways we conduct ourselves in a crisis. The title of his sermon.

I was all ears, listening to him say what I already believed about human conduct in a crisis. That at the point of crisis, back-against-the-wall moments, minutes and maybe even hours or days of crisis, our true character is revealed. Not what we believe about ourselves, but what we are made of,  up to that moment.

The Pastor also recognized that it is time centric to the time frame of the crisis, which was the third time I found myself agreeing with him. Massive amounts of love and true character revealed being the first and second times.

But then he said something that I cannot wrap my head around. That’s putting it mildly.

 I am strongly opposed, even to the point of banner-waving protest.

He refered to “some” people as being EVIL, as being possessed by the DEVIL.

Wowh, hold your horses, Sir. Pastor, sir.

I thought only God had the right to Judge. Won’t those people get judged like the rest of us either in the present or in the after-life?

It made me sad that this Pastor with the credentials and the trust of his congregation should feel confident about judging any one of the people who are learning, growing and doing the best they know how. What about compassion, understanding and empathy?

Just a few sentences from this Pastor could have put it into perspective.

Every one, animals included, have the ability to become so out of balance and so threatened that they hurt and destroy their perceived nemesis. We all have this ability. I thought churches were the place to learn how to deal with bad behavior. Churches and a therapist session.

In my book, every living thing deserves allowance to grow to full potential. Including humans, animals and plants, macro and micro organisms. That means growing through our own personal crises. I believe this is what God/The Universe had in mind when we were created.

Within the realm of human interaction, judgement is not just the opposite of Love. Judgement cancels out love. Eradicates it. And most of the judging going on is pre-judgment. Also known as prejudice. Our ability to judge is merely to keep us safe and to secure our physical survival. Not for how to treat one another.

My God not only loves me massively, he loves every living thing massively, without limit.

Remember, “Let one among you who is without sin, cast the first stone.” I remember this.

In the end all there will be is Love. Right now all is Love, yet we so often don’t see it or acknowledge it. Nevertheless, we are meant to Love. Its part of our natural world.

I discussed this with my friend. At least i told him my thoughts, he chose not to make a conversation about it. That was disappointing. I did mention that love has an adjective.

Its unconditional  . . . L O V E.