Judging

I know that I judge things all the time. I am a people watcher and I look at the things people do, the way they dress, if they smoke or have children, how they behave-it all fascinates me and I do tend to put them in their "appropriate" boxes. On the other hand, if they wanted to talk to me or needed my help, all my presuppositions would melt away and I would definitely give them a fair chance to get to REALLY know them. Once I get to know someone I relate to them from my paradigm-being a Christian, I examine myself very closely and make sure I'm relating the love of Christ in whatever manner that I deal with my friends and family. I cannot write people off. Sometimes I do need to step back, let time pass and re-evaluate my relationship with some but I can never just GIVE UP on a person. I love every single person-even if they hurt me. I can say that with all sincerity because God loves them. He doesn't want a single soul to perish into everlasting punishment and I feel that as a follower of Jesus Christ and a person that has needed to be forgiven of many things, I cannot give up on anyone-even if I can judge that they have done bad things and they may or may not have asked for forgiveness. I have been challenged as to why I would be so magnanimous with someone that has hurt someone I know or how I can defend someone who has wronged me but, even though the charges levelled against that person may be accurate and the judgement is sound, I must disagree. My heart tells me that love and forgiveness must go hand-in-hand. I can judge these things, too but I want to win them over and I am in no position to condemn. "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."