Witness from Prison:  Judge Not!

You hypocrite, first take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. – Matthew 7: 1-5

I, nick-named frugal-Fred, had difficulty in the prison with the common disregard for conserving resources. The water, hot or cold, left running wide-open while the inmate went into the TV room brushing his teeth. Huge servings of food in the dining room.

"If you don't want it, throw it out." And then, the rampant profanity, verbal pornography not in my up-bringing.

Since I was not permitted to take anything into prison, my wife thoughtfully ordered a daily devotional book sent by mail to me. This enabled us to read 'together' even though separated by walls and miles. We both found the devotionals enriching and up-lifting, frequently speaking to our needs.

One such for me was a writer sharing her experience as an adolescent. She was critical and disapproving of a neighbor girl. “Her aunt brought up the sticky subject, having overheard her niece’s belittling gossip. The aunt told her that she needed to understand the hard story of this child's life, how she lived with relatives because her parents were unable to care for her. The girl was shocked, both because she had showed such an ugly face to her beloved aunt and because she had judged this poor girl with such meanness.”

This brought a loud, clear and challenging message to me for my relating, frequently critically, to my fellow inmates, most of who were from circumstances very different from my comfortable, secure farm and church, home and family. Thank God for the "light" which takes away the darkness.

Reflection:  In this Advent season does Matthew 7:5 speak to you as it does to me?

What then shall we/must we do?