Judge Not

 

In today's hyper-connected world, it's tempting to think that it's easier than ever to get to know someone, and whether they are a good person or not. The truth, however, is that we often get only fleeting glimpses, which are incomplete at best, or skewed and misleading at worst.

It is interesting to note that in this passage, Jesus doesn't just admonish His followers not to judge others, but clarifies that we are to "judge righteous judgement." Clearly, we have a responsibility to judge certain behaviors as right or wrong. But what are we to do when it comes to judging other people? At minimum, we should take pains to ensure that any judgement of another's character is not done hastily or without an unbiased view of the facts. Even that minimum standard is a tall order in today's culture of hot takes and moral absolutism. But here are a few principles I've found to be helpful to keep in mind:

• "Righteous judgement" doesn't only mean being right or fair. It also means treating others with compassion and grace who we might otherwise seek to judge.
  
• Don't underestimate our propensity to get things wrong. Many reputations and even livelihoods have been destroyed by the spreading of rumors that were untrue. The more certain we find ourselves about our judgement of a particular person, the more we should examine whether that certainty is warranted, or whether we should take more time to examine the facts.
• Don't underestimate the ability of others to get things right. Sometimes, we dismiss what others say out of hand because of differences in political affiliation, religion, education level, or other factors. But different life experiences can lead to legitimate insights that we might otherwise miss out on.
  
• Remember that people are complex. No one is 100% right or 100% wrong. No one is defined by their worst attributes or their strangest beliefs. In addition, people often behave differently when feeling stressed, threatened, or vulnerable than they would under ordinary circumstances.
  
• Judging intent is a much harder than judging actions. Even when we object to something someone says or does, we should avoid the trap of assuming it's because they are either evil or stupid. Give people the benefit of the doubt that their motives are sincere, and that to them, they have good and even moral reasons for what they do.
  
• Giving the benefit of the doubt doesn't mean giving your trust. You can believe that someone is sincere about their views of right and wrong without adopting those same views yourself.
  
• Lastly, it's okay to defer judgement. It sometimes feels like everyone is under pressure to make split-second judgement calls, and to have an unshakeable opinion about everything under the sun. But when we are doing our best to have an accurate picture of someone, and we still feel it is incomplete, it's okay to take time to contemplate. While it is common to regret jumping to conclusions, it is rare to regret the opposite.