"Judgement, Love, Self-Righteousness"

Adam and Eve in the garden were not just satisfied to be God-like in their capacity to love but wanted to become like God in their capacity to judge between good and evil or who is "in" and who is "out" and what is right and what is wrong. When we as man- kind focus on desiring to judge then we begin to lose the capacity to love, for unlike God we cannot judge and love at the same time, and you cannot judge (which one of its meanings is to "separate") and then truly unconditionally love someone because you have just judged them not worthy of your love.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer the famous author and theologian said this about the two trees in the garden, "the tree of life was God's provision to meet our needs and share His life with us endlessly. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was God's prohibition against humans overstepping their proper domain". Gods desire was that He alone would know good and evil, and only He could properly judge and define what that was through the lens of His love.
The moment we judge or condemn someone whether it is a major lifestyle issue or a minor matter of appearance it gives us a feeling of superiority or deity over that person just like the Pharisee who would say," and I am not like him", rather than have a heart that says," have mercy on me", for he and I are the same both in need of the tree of life and the love of the Father.

Much of what is called Christianity around the World but especially in America seems to be known more for what we are against and our declarations of good and evil than for our outrageous scandalous love for others especially the outcasts which Jesus our example seemed to be drawn to the most. I mean could you imagine a drunk or an addict or a prostitute saying," I am hungry to be in a shame free, non-judgmental group of people that will just love me for me right now, so I am going to that church down the road"? No instead they stay in their dysfunction with others who will love and accept them where they are with no judgement. It is sad but that is not the reputation of the Church and christians in most places even though it should be the norm and not the exception. Instead we are called judgmental, bigoted, mean, even unkind, especially with those that believe it is their job to be the sheriffs of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and trumpet their opinions of who is right and who is wrong and who is in and who isn't.

An indictment against many Christians as a whole is that we are not always known as safe houses of refuge for sinners, and the hurting, and the wounded, where people can come and find a love that does not question, an understanding that does not judge and an acceptance without conditions. Instead many are houses of refuge for certain kinds of sinners, the self-righteous, the loveless, the greedy, the envious, the gossips, the gluttonous and the such, and normally those guilty of these sins usually feel little discomfort in most church settings because we have judged these somewhat acceptable.

Self-righteous judgement is the same as the setting ourselves up as the righteous judge over all mankind, which is a God complex on steroids. Everything we do should be about a radical love for ALL of God's creation and seeing their worth and not focused on their sins, issues, or shortcomings because we would all have to look in the mirror first. Now remember when someone judges you for something it is normally their issue that they deal with so just smile and love them no matter what because there is no greater command or obedience than love.