Don't judge by appearances

 We live in a very visual world where we are encouraged to read a book by its cover. A lot of money is spent by advertisers to promote and encourage people to buy products or experiences based on how a thing looks. In many cases, the product is filmed or photographed in a particular way to see it in the best possible light. This is not only to attract our attention but to touch an inner response that seeks to own or encounter the same experience. We are led to believe that if we own this product or travel to this destination we will be fulfilled. Yet in many ways, this is an illusion that plays on a deeper longing.

In a similar way when we meet people we can notice similar feelings arise inside us. We start to judge the book by its cover and make assumptions about who the person is by how they dress, how they speak and what they do. They can be a visceral reaction in which we are moved by something deep within us which judges whether this person is worthwhile or not. This can then guide our responses by how we choose to accommodate that person in our life. We adopt an inner distinction that determines a person's worth solely on the exterior expression rather than the character of who they are.

Yet in our own lives, we encounter a God who has a profound love for all creation but especially those in greatest need. God calls for our eyes to be opened, for our ears to be unplugged and our tongues to be loosed to seek joy in our life. That which blinds us deafens us and causes us to become tongue-tied needs to be the source of our prayer. We can to easily limit God's interaction to what looks good rather than what is good. In this way, we start to see as God sees, hear as God hears, and speak in words that echo that fundamental goodness that rises in each human heart.

Over the week it then helps us to look at where we spend our money, who we listen to, and how we occupy our time. Our bank accounts, our internet searches, and our diaries can become a testimony to what and whom we believe to be important. They show what possess our money, our relationships, and our priorities. At their essence, they help to be a reality check between what we seek and what we do. They help us to notice the dilemma that St Paul encounters where he says one thing and does another. 

This realization can be confronting but it can help us to encounter a God who reads our hearts. Not to condemn us but so that we can see more clearly, listen more attentively and respond more lovingly in our daily lives. When we seek not to judge by appearances but to respond with a heartfelt concern for humanity we discover that there is not so much distance between us. That God moves each person to encounter our neighbour for the greatest good in their deepest need.