Day Twenty Four — The First Note, Humility (continued)
The faults that we see in others are the subject of prayer rather than of criticism. We take care to cast out the beam from our own eye before offering to remove the speck from another’s. We are ready to accept the lowest place when asked, and to volunteer to take it. Nevertheless, when asked to undertake work of which we feel unworthy or incapable, we do not shrink from it on the grounds of humility, but confidently attempt it through the power that is made perfect in weakness.
A fusillade of key-strokes, and the screen
is filled. Some stranger’s words have triggered ire;
a grim, smug satisfaction starts to appear –
one more deluded idiot put down.
A zeal for godly righteousness is seen
as reason enough to judge, to claim the higher
ground: to ban, to keep the boundaries clear,
no-platform, drive dissenters out of town.
How easily these words flow from my pen.
Then Jesus’ gaze arrests me, and I pause –
his words are meant for me; are not a tool
with which to gouge the motes from others’ eyes.
The troll, the zealot and this liberal fool
are all alike loved by the Son of Man.
No comments:
Post a Comment