Upfront October 17, 2011 Issue

Excuse me, but there’s a mote in your eye . . .

Jeff Ward-Bailey, Staff Editor

Judgment is a topic we’re all probably familiar with, whether we’ve been on the sending or receiving end of unkind assessments at one point or another. Yet, the biblical command to “judge not” doesn’t mean we should never take a stand on any issue. Spiritual discernment and humility help us to “judge rightly,” by washing from our thinking condemning or accusatory views that would prevent us from cherishing the good in others. Sabrina Stillwell puts it well in this week’s cover section: “Right judgment stems from the way we see ourselves in relation to God. If we see ourselves as God’s loved children—already whole and perfect—then we must see others in the same way” (p. 6).

Supporting this theme, Christopher Evans shares a time when a subtle pull toward prejudicial thinking was dissolved by another’s expression of unselfish kindness (p. 9). And Richard Schaberg explores how we can replace worn-out, limited concepts of others with “heavenly lists” of their God-given qualities (p. 10). This issue also includes a teen piece by an author whose prayers about a relationship uncovered and healed some underlying judgments she’d been holding about others (p. 14).

“Judging rightly” is an ongoing spiritual lesson. We hope this issue is helpful in bringing clarity and a healing perspective on the topic. And we hope that our authors’ tender lessons about following God’s guidance prove useful to you.

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Items of Interest

Clerics to draft charter promoting religious cooperation