A very wise man once said,

“If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain how he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.”

This wise man, Goethe, said this because he knew that each and every one of us is meant to become a seer of what is not yet; we are all called to awaken as warm suns to what wants blossom in the other. For like the sun that brings forth the potential from the seed, we are to develop the power of an inner sun that puts its warm focus, not on our shortcomings, but on a future self. For every one of us knows how life giving it is when someone believes in us, trusts in what is becoming.

And yet, so often we fall into condemnation. So often we judge human souls and ourselves so harshly, as always such a ____, pegging souls as a ______for ever more, or worst of all, constantly focusing on and emphasizing the sin and weakness in others as if this were something righteous. We forget that we are all in the darkness and it is only the sun-heart that can help.

And this is why Christ in our Gospel this week (Lk 6) reminds us to ‘judge not’. For condemning, judging and criticizing others and ourselves only adds to the depth of the dark- takes away our destined sun power – weakens our inner warmth that wants to co-create true humanity.

But, Dear friends, let us not be nieve in our striving. Let us continue to quietly discern destructive behaviors, harmful thoughts and feelings that stream out of our mouths and from the mouths of others, for the dark is meant to be named. But behaviors, thoughts and feelings are not souls themselves. Let us never judge a human soul itself. For everyone can blossom – everyone is meant to flame.

This contemplation by Rev. Evans is inspired by Luke 6 and J. W. Goethe.