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ISSN: 1539-431X July 1, 2004 Judgement Day
 What
is RSS?
John Cali I’ve been noticing lately how judgemental and critical we humans can be of one another. Especially in this era of the so-called "war on terror," and war on practically everything we deem wrong or evil. This extends even to something as bland and benign as someone’s opinion with which we disagree. Or someone’s ethnic background. Where does that get us? Nowhere. Except deeper and deeper into more of the same. I have some wonderfully warm childhood memories of a dear cousin, Jeff by name. We were very close, and spent all the time we could together. It felt good, just being with each other. Even as a kid, Jeff was one of the most caring, loving human beings I’ve ever known. He always saw only the good side of people, and of everything in life. He grew up to be a model son, husband, father, friend, and teacher. But Jeff had one trait that used to drive me batty when we were kids. He was never on time for anything. In fact, he sometimes just never even showed up. Time meant nothing to him. However, he was eternally cheerful and upbeat, always ready with a kind, uplifting word or two for all those around him. He had a great sense of humor, and loved to laugh a lot. It was contagious. I used to criticize him and get myself really worked up when he let me down. During these fits of anger, all the good qualities I loved in him faded from my view. It was so easy to criticize and judge him because he didn’t "fit the mold" of what most folks considered acceptable. He marched to the beat of a drummer far different from the one most of us did. Today, I simply accept that’s the way Jeff is. How many people in our lives (our lives as individuals, families, nations, even churches) do we judge to be less than acceptable? And, therefore, they become the target of our harsh criticism and condemnation. And, often, much worse. Recently I took a day, my own personal judgement day, to focus on the ways I might still be judgemental in my personal life. It was an incredibly powerful and emotional day. And it was a day of great insight into myself, my life, my soul. I haven’t been the same since. Here’s Joseph. Chief Joseph If you could all rid your world and yourselves of judgement, you could create paradise on earth–literally. Judgement–harsh criticism–not understanding the paths of others–these all create more havoc in your world than all of your other perceived problems combined. When you judge another–an individual, a group, a nation, a society–you are also judging yourselves. And when you judge, you are always saying, in effect, "You are not living your life the way I think you should. Therefore, you are wrong. And the only way you can be right is to do things my way. It’s either my way or the wrong way!" That is what most of you are saying most of the time when you judge others (or yourselves, for that matter). There is no place for criticism or judgement in this new era into which you and your planet are emerging–truly the dawn of a new age. Certainly you are going to see–are already seeing–a world seething with judgement and condemnation. And all the human turmoil and tragedy that involves. But this is a turning point, a critical turning point, in the collective life of the human race. All of you will ultimately move beyond the shackles you place on yourselves and others through your practice of judgement. But those of you who are more awake and aware than the majority are the vanguard, the leaders of what will truly be a new age. And if you are to retain that leadership role, it is critical that you move beyond judgement. Judgement of others, of yourselves, of everything and everyone. You will thereby set the example for those who follow you. There is no room for judgement in the new world now emerging from the ashes of the old world. We shall speak more of this at another time. Our closing advice to you is love yourselves and one another, without condition and without judgement.
This article was originally published here.
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John can be reached by email here
or through their website Copyright © 2004 by John Cali. All rights reserved. *************************************************************************
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