"Give Praise... to God."

I ask for the grace to pray and meditate faithfully.  I ask for patience, tolerance, compassion, and empathy.  I ask to abstain from anger, compulsive behaviour, and  discouragement.  I for the grace to prepare space for the birth of the incarnation in my own heart.  That my words, thoughts, and actions may proclaim justice, kindness, and humility.


Romans 14:10-13

10 Why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God. ¹¹For it is written,
‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
   and every tongue shall give praise to God.’
¹²So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

13 Let us therefore no longer pass judgement on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling-block or hindrance in the way of another.

1) "...why do you pass judgement;" "...why do you despise;" "...we will all stand before... God;" "...each of us will be accountable to God;" "...let us... no longer pass judgement;" "...stumbling block;" "...


2) I pass judgement on others because it's easy.  It happens before I'm even thinking of it.  I don't need to do it consciously, it is effortless.  They open their mouth, saying something predictable, and I have a judgement before they've spoken.  It's not every time every one speaks, just certain people in certain circumstances.  But it happens.  It takes a tremendous amount of effort not to judge some people.  And to be honest, it's hard to believe in things unseen.  It may well be he case that they will stand before the judgement seat of God... eventually.  But in the meantime, they are more than disruptive, they are abusive, oppressive, violent, negligent, self-important, destructive.  And so I judge.  I don't do much else.  I seldom confront.  From a relatively safe distance, I judge.  And I become passive aggressive, which doesn't help anyone.  There was a line form the Boston Declaration that I appreciated about not letting doubt/humility keep us silent in the face of injustice.


3) What is the invitation in all this?  Rather than stewing over perceived "injustice" speak up, but speak up peaceably.  That's easier said than done.  It requires a singular degree of self-awareness and consciousness to know that something is going wrong before the rage sets in.  So often, I don't even know anything is wrong until I'm fearful and furious. 


"Holy One, keep us awake and pro-active."


Breathprayer: "Give praise... to God."