My Dear Friends,

Do you know what an ear worm is? 
No, not that. Rather it is when you get a bit of a tune in your head and can’t stop thinking about it. Could be a verse from a hymn, or a jingle from the radio, or the catchy line from a song you enjoyed in the 60’s. My latest one was ‘Round, like a circle in a spiral or a wheel within a wheel’ from Windmills of your mind by Noel Harrison.
Now I expect you are trying to remember how it goes. Beware, because it will get stuck.

Sometimes I get one that is completely at the wrong time. Like I can’t stop singing a Christmas Carol in the middle of summer, or some big Alleluia chorus in the middle of Lent. I have however concluded the best thing is to give in to the music, and go with it. It is in my head anyway, and it is not going anywhere until it wants to!

The serious reason I am talking about this is that sometimes we can’t help what we think about. It just comes in to our head uninvited. Even worse, sometimes it comes out of our mouth when we least expect it. ‘Did I say that out loud?’

Our scriptures are very clear that we are called not to judge. We will hear St Paul talk about this if we listen to the service on Sunday, but just in case you miss it

From Romans 14
‘Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarrelling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgement on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgement on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honour of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honour of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honour of the Lord and give thanks to God.’

Paul is teaching us to respect people’s sincerely held opinions even though they may be directly opposite to our own. Particularly if they act in honour of the Lord.  (However he does describe the vegetarians as weak, and that sounds a little bit judgemental to me!)  But Paul elsewhere says he does the things he doesn’t want to do, and doesn’t do the things he does want to do. 

It is not for us to judge, we are all accountable to the Lord.

The reason I am saying all this is because however much we know we are called not to judge others we, and indeed Paul. do it regularly. Most of the time, like the ear worm, we can’t help it. We just think ‘You shouldn’t wear that shirt with those shorts’ or ‘How could you possibly believe that?’ Or worse still, have some sort of negative opinion about a person based on gossip.

We convince ourselves that some judgemental opinions of ours are perfectly alright, because they seem obvious to us. But in truth others may think the absolute opposite.

It is so easy to fall into some unconscious bias, or pick up casual racism or homophobic attitude, or lump members of a particular group or faith community all together irrespective of any actual knowledge. And the worrying thing about this form of judging is often unconscious sense of superiority that informs it. It is the Us and Them syndrome which can be so divisive.

The reality is that humans are all unique, and the Grace of God can make the most wicked righteous. It is not for us to judge, to pass remarks, or to look down on other people’s sincerely held, and thought through ideas and opinions. We learn most from those who are most different from us, and only God can see the secrets of our hearts.

I have an ear worm medley going on now (which prompted the whole letter) It is a mixture of two Beatles songs. All you need is love, and Give peace a chance.

Bless you, Bless you, Bless you,

Fr Marcus