A young man tries to deal with the pain of his parent's divorce. His heart is ripped apart and he does not know where to turn. He had never really been introduced to a life in God so he does not naturally turn there. He just wants the pain to go away and he seeks to numb it. Through the years he turns to pornography and using others and drugs and alcohol. Deep down inside none of it helps.

How should we judge this situation? Coldly, we could say what a waste of a life and question why he did not make something of himself. Or, compassionately, we could ask why he has chosen the life he leads.

When we think of judgment we imagine some kind of put down or condemnation. Does God call us to judgment? Yes. But God does not want us to judge the person. Remember, he sent Jesus not to condemn us but to save us. (John 3:16-18) He came to judge actions that were contrary to his law of love. Another way of putting this is that we are to judge the sin but not the sinner. Jesus condemns all sin - anything that keeps us from him. So, too, should we. Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away all the sins of the world, condemns all sin on the cross.

In the case of the young man dealing with his parent's divorce, we do want to judge all that is taking him away from God's healing and help. We condemn all that condemns him. We love the sinner but hate the sin. Our goal is to have him come into God's saving love.

We need trusting relationships in Christian community to do this. But how much do we ever see that happening? Are you willing to make it happen? Idea - regularly gather with fellow Christians and talk about ways you need to condemn all the sin you have chosen that condemns you. Are not we all in some kind of need, like the boy from divorced parents, to condemn what condemns us? How open are we to having that sin, and not us as a person, pointed out as something that is keeping us from God?

Blessed by the BEST,

+ Fr. John