As a 17-year-old high achiever, I began a career in the National Bank of New Zealand. I was a perfectionist, ambitious, and I didn’t suffer fools gladly.

I was a Christian, but I hadn’t really worked out what that meant in my everyday life. Anyone on the receiving end of my impatience, criticism and judgement would have called me a hypocrite. It took some hard lessons for me to learn that it was not my place to sit in judgement.

In Jesus famous “Sermon on the Mount”, he addresses judging others. 

 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” Matthew 7 v 1-5

In Chapel we have been considering WHY we judge others. Our students have had some incredible insight. Some of the answers included:

• To elevate ourselves
• Power
• Control
• Pride
• Ignorance

Jesus draws attention to the fact that all these things are simply logs in our own eyes. He calls us to first and foremost deal with our own shortcomings enabling us clear vision to support someone else in their situation. He invites self-reflection, not self-condemnation.

Former American Radio Speaker and Author, Earl Nightingale said these words:

“Judging a person doesn’t define who they are; it defines who you are”. Earl Nightingale

May we be a community of people who choose to humbly self-reflect on our attitudes and behaviours, addressing our own shortcomings and then supporting and uplifting those around us.

Grace and Peace

Vanessa MacCarthy - Assistant Chaplain