By Rev. Cindy Senarighi RN
The Scripture ~ “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” Romans 14:13
The Spiritual Focus ~ “God wants you to live for others and live that presence well.” Henri Nouwen
Breath Prayer~ God in You, God in me
The Devotion ~ Seeing the presence of God in other’s certainly takes practice. To see God’s presence in a saint, a mystic, or a care giver such as a hospice worker isn’t hard, their actions reflect the words and actions of Jesus. Seeing God’s presence in folks who aren’t likable, let alone lovable, is much more challenging and takes a keen eye. How do we accommodate the idea of seeing God’s presence in people when we want to judge and condemn them? Fr. Richard Rohr in his book the Universal Christ encourages us to see the ‘other’ through God’s eyes. Look to Jesus as God’s blueprint for how to live without judging. One suggestion in moving away from being judgmental is to draw a distinction between the image and likeness of God. We are all children of God, created in God’s image, as Jesus was, but we struggle to live in the likeness of God, as Jesus did. When we can make that distinction, the stumbling block of judging other’s is removed and we see the image of God in each other, if not the likeness. In yoga philosophy non-judgement is connected to the idea of ahimsa or do no harm. In the sutra’s, an ancient yoga text, it is said that the suffering caused by judging others is painful and harmful and to be avoided. Being non-judgmental is a beautiful intersection of faith and yoga that is much harder to practice than any pose. But, when practiced as Jesus taught, leads us to seeing the presence of God in each other.
