Photo by Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Have you ever judged a book by its cover? Despite what wise people have told countless generations through human history, I do it all the time. Whenever I walk into a bookstore, I am immediately drawn to the display shelves and tables laden with large, colorful, interesting recent publications. It is there I usually linger before I browse the rest of the store. I am an equal opportunity browser. Given enough time I look at all books whether I like them or not. I have my preferences as we all do. I prefer oversize books, although I will browse regular size books without prejudice. I am usually drawn to books with colorful illustrations and pictures on the cover and inside. Unless I am out to specifically browse biographies, novels, or self-help books, most of which I have discovered rarely have pictures inside, I know to stay away from the academic and computer shelves. Every now and then it is the name of the author that will grab my attention, or the leading character in a series. So, I will pass over the classics. It’s just a preference I have for entertaining, descriptive, illustrated fiction populated by non-existent characters engaging in improbable activities and getting into impossible situations, setting in motion certain events most likely to unfold in places most unlikely to exist, resolving problems whose solutions have eluded the brightest minds, and will continue to do so were it not for this brilliant piece of fiction.
Have you ever judged a movie? All the time. We have clear preferences when we scan the movie listings at the theater or on our preferred streaming service as we plan an evening with loved ones while enjoying unhealthy snacks and drinks. I know my dad usually prefers popular action flicks, with lots of explosions, mindless violence, and minimal dialogue. My mom says she has no preferences so she will watch whatever dad watches. I used to not know what I liked. But I know what I don’t like, movies with words like “dude” or grammatically challenged titles. I stay away from certain actors too. And I like movies about heroism, history, global conspiracy, and young people discovering the mysteries of life in sometimes hilarious fashion.
Have you ever judged another person? All the time. Maybe you thought I was going to say never, not me, absolutely not! But I know you have, and so have I, and it’s something we all do. But before you get the impression I am actually encouraging you to disregard Jesus’ words about judging others, let me say I’m not preaching a different gospel. We make judgments all the time like when we determine someone is friendly or suspicious or some situation is safe or risky. Judgment also takes place in courts of law, with the determination of guilt or innocence. Whenever we come across a person, event, or experience that we have never encountered before, we instinctively compare it with other persons, events, or experiences that we have previously come to know. This forms the basis for determining subjectively whether someone or something is good or bad; better, equal to, or worse than any other we have known before. We habitually form opinions and make judgments about people we meet and things we experience. The critical issue then becomes what we do with these opinions and judgements.
Sacred scripture invites us who claim to be disciples of Jesus to judge ourselves first. We might give ourselves a pass since we have inside knowledge of motive and extenuating circumstances, information we are not always willing to share. But when others become aware of them, we turn into our own worse critics. Have you ever heard a cook or artist critique their own work? You would rather to never have known.
Whatever faults we notice in others, we most likely possess ourselves to some degree. But we tend to see the speck in their eye before we notice the beam in our own. Just as a habit develops from repetition, so the habit of judging ourselves only develops if we shift some focus on areas in our lives that could use some improvement, the way we treat the people we love perhaps, the way we speak, our attitude toward authority, and opinions different from our own, our self-indulgence, our indifference, our laziness, our lack of patience. We have many areas to choose from.
This is where the judgment we make as naturally as we breathe can come to good use. When we say we are judgmental, we have taken information we gathered from sizing up a person or situation and used it against them instead of using it to build them up. That is a choice we make. When we perceive a flaw in our neighbor, we might think nothing of pointing it out. But this path seldom benefits the person at fault or the one who points it out, unless we use the same information to alter our attitudes, our outlook, our behavior for the better. We need to remember that the only person we can really change is ourselves. We can encourage. We can even coerce. But that change will never last. And by it we choose to foster more intolerance, injustice, and oppression.
We are all subject to judgment because we will all naturally make comparisons. Yet we should take time to reflect on how our judgment should make us better people. “As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace, so in tribulation is the test of the just.” No doubt our true selves will surface under pressure. It would be best if we possessed greater control of our impulses. Even better if we are already inclined to look deep into our hearts and make the necessary adjustments unprompted.
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit. … A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.” No doubt we will encounter some good and some evil in people we meet. It will be difficult to withhold judgment. But unless sharing that judgment aims above all at helping the other to become a better person, we best should keep it to ourselves. Despite even our best intentions, our judgment can only be of benefit if we have genuine care and compassion for the person we choose to share it with, and that they are convinced of it well in advance. So it helps to establish bonds of friendship and community. When others around us are behaving badly, they will probably care little about how we feel. But if we establish a healthy caring and compassionate connection with them beforehand, they just might reconsider their attitudes, decisions, and behaviors. If we help form better those we love and care about, we are also setting an example for them to follow. “When fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.” If we do the work to become better disciples ourselves, they just might follow our lead. And we have a foot in the door.
Rolo B Castillo © 2025