Beyond the Surface

Some time back I was out surfing alone when another surfer paddled out next to me. It was a beautiful day — warm water, decent waves, pelicans soaring overhead. But this surfer was full of complaints. Someone had told him the waves were perfect and they were not. His language was rough and his mood was dark. I found myself thinking: You are not at work. You are not in a hospital. The sun is out and the water is clear and warm. I didn't want anything to do with him, so I turned and paddled down the beach.

But later, as I reflected on the encounter, something shifted. I realized I had no idea what this man might have been carrying that morning. Maybe he had just argued with someone he loved. Maybe he was worried about money, or his health, or his job. The more I thought about it, the more my irritation gave way to something softer. And I found myself praying for him.

How often do we judge others without knowing what they are actually going through?

I hope I am never as ungrateful and negative as that surfer seemed on that morning. But I also hope no one judges me based on one chance meeting. We all have our moments, don't we? We all have days when the waves are never quite right — and the trouble has nothing to do with the waves.

Jesus said, "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get." (Matthew 7:1-2)

May God give us eyes to see beyond the surface — to see something of his image in each and every person we meet, even the difficult ones. Especially the difficult ones.

Prayer: You have called us to be salt and light — to set an example of your love and grace. And yet, O God, we confess that we are quick to judge and slow to understand. When we encounter people who are hard to love, soften our hearts. Help us to remember that we too have needed grace. And may the measure we give be generous — as generous as the measure we have received. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.

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