Judgie McJudgerson

I’m stalling again.

I get this way when I feel like I need to blog about something that won’t fall in line.  I like being accepted.  I like being liked.  I like getting lots of “spot on” comments.

I don’t like the feeling I get of stepping out into the great unknow.  I feel uncomfortable challenging the popular.  I like bandwagons.  I want you to save me a seat beside you on it.  For Pete’s sake I like the New York Yankees!  The only thing bigger than their bandwagon is the “I hate the Yankees” band wagon.

See?  Even as I type this, I’m getting off topic.  Today we’re discussing the first two chapters of Evolving in Monkey Town by Rachel Held Evans.  As an east Tennessee gal who started attending church 9 months before I was born, I can undoubtedly identify with the author’s experience.

Marla even gave us a handy (and really difficult) set of questions to aid in discussion:

1. What does it take to be saved?2. How should our faith affect our politics?3. What does Jesus think about someone like June? Is professing to believe Jesus enough to excuse a life of hatred?

I wish I could fall in line.  Talk about how I feel about politics, how I think both sides are wrong.  How I think both sides suck and my latest political strategy is to pray for Jesus to come back.  Sure, Jay’s not a Christian and would be up crap creek if Jesus came back today.  But I mean, really, he’s had his shot – no one’s fault but his own for not taking it sooner.

{Yes, I really do feel this way.  Not sure why I thought I’d be a good candidate for North American Missions when I mostly feel like everyone in North America knows about Jesus – or at least our distorted American Jesus.  I also know that this attitude is piss-poor and totally not one with which Jesus agrees.}

Stop getting distracted from the point Brooke!  Out with it!!!

4. What else in these 2 chapters do you want to talk about?

 The “something else” I want to talk about isn’t the content of chapter 2, but rather my attitude toward chapter 2.  As I was reading it, something didn’t feel right.  While I could easily agree with Rachel’s assessment of June-the-horrible-no-good-is-she-really-a-Christian-lady, something just didn’t fit right.

I couldn’t put my finger on it until this morning.  We’re judging the judgmental lady woman.  Worse than that – we’re judging a caricature someone else has painted of her.  We’re point our finger at how awful and horrible and vile she is, yet aren’t we also awful and horrible and vile?   Don’t we need the blood of Jesus to cover our offenses just as much as June?  Just as much as the people June is judging?

Being judgmental is something with which I struggle on a consistent basis.  Don’t believe me?  Travel upward in the blog to the point where I judge everyone not saved at age 8 like me.  I don’t know the solution, beyond begging for grace and mercy in my  life and trying my hardest not to get cranky when God provides the same grace and mercy to someone of whom I don’t approve.