Rash Judgement – 2 June 2006
I wonder if you are familiar with the story of Gelert the hound?:
One day, Prince Llywelyn called his hounds to go hunting. All his hounds came at the call, but not his faithful greyhound Gelert. Llywelyn could wait no longer, and set out.
When Llywelyn returned home, who should be waiting to greet him but Gelert! As the hound bounded to greet him, Llywelyn was startled to notice that Gelert's lips and fangs were covered with blood. Now Prince Llywelyn had a son, barely a year old - when he saw Gelert's condition, a terrible thought came to his mind. He rushed to his son's nursery, only to find the cradle overturned and the sheets covered in blood. Llywelyn looked frantically for his son, but couldn't find him anywhere, only the evidence of much blood and a struggle within the nursery. Turning to Gelert, whose muzzle was still wet with blood, Llywelyn came into a great rage and cried, "Thou hast killed my only son!", he duly drew his sword and drove it into the side of the hound. Gelert yelped once loudly, and with a sorrowful look into Llywelyn's eyes, died at his master's feet.
At the sound of Gelert's last yelp, there was a small cry from beneath the overturned cradle. When Llywelyn righted it, who should he find beneath it but his small son, safe and unharmed, as well the torn and bloodied body of a huge wolf. Too late Llywelyn discovered what had really happened while he was away. Gelert had stayed behind to guard the child, and had fought and slain the wolf that had crept into the nursery in his masters absence.
Sometimes we make judgements without knowing all the circumstances. We are quick to jump to a conclusion based on a few facts and a lot of assumptions. There can be a fine line between sound judgement and judgementalism.
Next time you are about to lay into someone (either directly, or in gossiping to a friend) take a few moments to look at things from the other side and see if there could be a reason for their apparently ill-considered actions.
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Matthew 7:1-2 [NIV]
Lord, may we be merciful and not judgemental - that the world will see our love and be encouraged. Amen. | 