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  • Don’t Forget

    Posted on May 21st, 2012 rhonda No comments

    Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived: Neither the sexual immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  And that is what some of you were.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

    1 Corinthians 6:9-11

    I went to a networking event for people representing various social/human services & healthcare agencies.  A heated debate broke out for about 10 minutes when one person referred to people who utilized an agency’s services as “clients”.  Two other women objected on the grounds that such language creates an “us” v. “them” mentality, or implies a hierarchy where the “client” is lesser than the professional.

    An acquaintance indicated to me that the opposite of judgment is identification.  That was a revelation.  I always thought that the opposite of judgment was non-judgment.  It’s hard to be judgmental of people that I identify with.  It’s hard to be judgmental of people who are in my group.  There’s too much understanding & empathy to be judgmental.

    I’m not sure what my word of wisdom for the day is.  Maybe its inclusion.  If I made an effort to figure out where I can identify with another person, what group we both come from, I’d be less judgmental.   My paraphrasing of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians would be, “Don’t forget where you came from.    Don’t look down your nose at anyone else.  Before you knew Christ, you were a hot mess.”