Good finders

 For someone who struggles with a fear of rejection (which I do!).  The world has become a very scary place!  Social media seems to make it so easy to be critical.  Conformity has become a demand on both sides (that is if there are only two) and independent thinking demonized.  It is now assumed if we don't think alike, there must be some dark and sinister motive for our thinking...Where does all this ugliness come from?  And how as Christians do we navigate?

I'm thinking of the first part of 1 Corinthians 13:7.  This is how it is translated in the amplified version: "Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person" Wow! I want to experience that kind of love from my community, my church, my friends, my family!  I want people to at least try to believe the best of me.  What a gift that would be!  I don't want people to just say something nice to my face.  I want them to truly believe the best... even when I am not around.  Don't we all?

I was looking for reference to the saying "Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his moccasins"  and came across an article about Mary T Lathrap and a copy of her poem "Walk a Mile in his Moccasins" originally called "Judge Softly"  In her poem she writes:

Just walk a mile in his moccasins
Before you abuse, criticize and accuse.
If just for one hour, you could find a way
To see through his eyes, instead of your own muse.

I believe you’d be surprised to see
That you’ve been blind and narrow-minded, even unkind.
There are people on reservations and in the ghettos
Who have so little hope, and too much worry on their minds.

What if we were good finders instead of fault finders?  What if we offered kindness instead of condemnation.  What if we assumed that people wanted to be kind but were crushed under the weight of criticism and condemnation?  I too am guilty of assuming evil motive... It's time to repent.