Think Before You Pick Up That Rock

I turn on the TV. It’s another scandal. It’s the same old story but with different players.

The stories start the same with a public figure saying, or doing, something really ignorant, and that is all anyone is talking about.

News anchors, morning show hosts, late night comedians all weigh in on the matter. They are stating their case in the courthouse of public opinion.

Twitter and Facebook are abuzz with deafening criticism and suggestions on what should happen next to this cheater, bigot, fool. Hashtags are created. Parody videos are uploaded. Polls are taken.

[Tweet “The courthouse of public opinion is quick to render a verdict and swift to hand down a sentence.”]

What will be the punishment be this time? Cancel his/her show? Demand resignation from political office? Pull the lucrative sponsors? Force him to sell his team? Boycott her products, or the stores that carry those products? Stone them all?

Hmmm, that reminds me of another story; one that actually involved stoning of a woman accused of adultery. (John 7:53-8:11)

Whether you are a regular church-goers or not, chances are you’ve heard this story too. The Pharisees came to Jesus with a woman accused of adultery. “Stone her!” They shout. Jesus, being cool, refuses to participate in the stoning. Instead he asks those who have never sinned be the one to cast the first stone. Stunned, the Pharisees dropped their stones and retreated. Jesus was always going against the courthouse of public opinion like that. He tells the woman to go and sin no more.

And, that makes me think of the stones I have thrown at myself. The critical inner-voice that says, “Why did I say that? I am so stupid.” “What was I thinking? What an idiot!” “Why did I say something so mean? I am so hateful.”

We all throw stones. Sometimes the target is the person we don’t really know involved in the latest scandal, our neighbor, friends, spouse, kids, that woman working in the drive-thru window, even the reflection in the mirror.

Surely you can think of a time you said something ignorant, insensitive, arrogant, mean at one time that you now regret. I mean, truly regret saying. I do. Maybe you are so used to throwing rocks at yourself or others, you don’t even notice the head wound.

We tend to be pretty hard on ourselves, so it makes sense we would be hard on others. But, what if we were easier on ourselves, and in turn, easier on others? What if there was more forgiveness and less public stoning?

Would you want forgiveness, or condemnation?

LINKING UP | At We are THAT Family, RachelWojo, WholeHearted Home, To Love, Honor, and Vacuum, and Holley Gerth Coffee for Your Heart. I encourage you to read these wonderful women planting small seeds in their part of their world.