Issues, man... issues

It's been a long time since I've worked out at the gym, but somehow I did manage to go twice this week. And I've found that the gym is a good place for me to think, because I don't read and I can't really focus on the televisions while I'm working out.

Had dinner with my bro, his wife, and another friend, and my friend was saying how hard it was to meet people. This, coupled with this morning's sermon - and a little brewing time at the gym - got me thinking about justice and "a judging God."

When I think about it, I've been judged all my life. When I was in school, I was judged by my grades. Do poorly enough, and you fail the class (I did it once - it was actually kind of amazing how unmotivated I was in high school). It's a teacher's job to judge you. Similarly, in a court of law, the jury must make some sort of judgment to provide a fair and just trial. A jury can't say, "I'm sorry, but we've decided not to make a ruling." And then the judge must assign a sentence appropriate to the ruling. We judge people we meet all the time - well, at least I do - sorry to say it, but sometimes I'll meet people and think, "see, this is exactly what's wrong with this person." (Hopefully right after that I come off my high horse and realize just how flawed I am.) Or I'll meet a single woman and think, "here are the reasons I would or would not have a relationship with this woman," or sometimes I think, "man, I really feel judged by this woman." (I don't think deeply about these things - since mostly I think, "wow, I don't understand these cross gender relationships at all.)

Sometimes I'll get mad, because I'll feel I got an unfair grade, or that I've been labeled as somebody I'm really not.

And there have been times when I've been mad at God, because I'll think - "why should this be my lot in life?" Wouldn't life have been easier, simpler... in short, better... if I were someone else - taller, stronger, smarter, richer, not Asian, not a man (that doesn't mean female, mind you - frankly I don't know how you women do it - mad props to all of you), not single, younger, wiser, and had better vision.

And the reason I'll be mad at God isn't because I think He's judged me and given me my lot in life - it's because I think He didn't give me the best life. He was unfair, He withheld something from me.

People, I believe, will most often judge unfairly. And Jesus says in the sermon on the Mount, that you will be judged with the measure you use. Therefore it seems to follow that one who is perfect (i.e. God) is given the right to judge simply because He is unable to disobey his own nature. My prayer is that you would see the people around you with holy eyes, the way God sees them... because He's really the only one who has seen all the good that is possible in us, and the evil, and He loves us the same.

And now, Dancing Monkeys. (Sorry, it's not really about dancing monkeys.)