I see so much judging, shaming, and blaming. Why? I suppose there are lots of reasons. Humans want to be right. It feels good to be right. We want to be on the “good” side of things. We want to show that we know right from wrong. We love pointing out other people’s flaws. Even though the story of creation was probably just a metaphor, Adam supposedly said “she made me do it”. We have been blaming each other forever!!! These three things are weak. Especially shaming. For me the first thing I think of when I hear the word shame is suicide. How many people in the world carried so much shame that they chose to end their life? Thousands I would imagine.
What if though we really looked at these three actions as something else? What if we asked ourselves why? Why do I need to judge that person? Why do I have to blame someone? Why do I have to shame someone? Is it possible that I need to deflect some of the responsibility from myself? Is it possible I am afraid to look at myself? Is it possible that tearing someone else down builds me up? As a youth speaker, I ask kids to try and look on the inside of others rather than the outside. I know that is difficult to do especially when someone is acting like an idiot.
What if instead of passing judgment upon others with whom we disagree or dislike, we sent them love? What if we said a quiet prayer for that person? What if instead of pointing out their flaws to them or others we thought of something in ourselves that we need to work on? What if we decided that for just ten minutes each day we would pray for someone on the other side of the fence, wall, aisle, spectrum, or world? What if we loved someone back to “good” behavior? What if? With all my heart and everything in my soul from all the people who have taught me, I am pleading with you to stop judging, blaming, and shaming.