Judge Not

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” …If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. 1 Corinthians 12:21, 26 NRSV

I’ve had trouble with this passage from the very first time I heard it; and each time, since. Perhaps Paul wasn’t as clear-headed in picking a metaphor as he should have been. Of course the body can continue in the absence of certain parts: eyes, ears, limbs, digits, even organs such as the gall bladder, appendix, a kidney or a lung, or with only part of the liver, or just half the brain. But take away, say, the heart, and unless there’s a machine, the body goes, too. Between the hand and the head, which is dispensable and which is indispensable?

However, even though the body can still manage, even thrive, without certain parts, it nonetheless does suffer. For instance, I’m still capable and functional with only half my hearing (ears), but things would be easier, simpler, and better if I had the whole, rather than the half.

In my other blog, I recently mentioned coming across a blogpost by Christie Aschwanden, discussing the envy she felt toward another writer, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer; and how this feeling turned out to be mutual. Comparing ourselves with others is a steep and oil-slicked slope. In my blogpost, I mentioned some of the reasons I, too, envy Rosemerry. However, it turned out one of my reasons is based on a false assumption, thus negating it. (Not that each of the other reasons aren’t also suspect.)

We’re told to, “Judge not,” which we typically take to mean that we’re not to be harsh in determining how another person should behave, act, etc. But I don’t think it’s a limited thing. Just maybe, it’s across the board. We’re also not to judge others as being better, more valuable than we are. You know, love our neighbor as ourself.

Maybe judging/comparing/valuing spiritual gifts is another area where God’s ways are not ours: They're all equal