Recently, our grandson was visiting from another state.  He and I were in my husband’s vehicle waiting to go on one of our adventures.  I noticed how dirty the windshield was inside and out and laughed with my grandson about it.  When my husband got in the car, my grandson and I both started joking with him about how dirty his windshield was.  Laughing but serious we said, “Can you even see well enough to drive with your dirty windshield?” and “perhaps we should go get the car washed and buy some window cleaner before we go anywhere!”  My husband admitted it was dirty and we laughed and went on our way. 

The next day, I hopped in my car to drive to the office at church and looked through my very dirty windshield.  It was covered with bugs and tree scum and the inside of the window had that grey film it gets after a time.  It hit me that my windshield was just as dirty as the one I had been teasing and judging my hubby about, and the thought occurred to me, that my windshield might even be dirtier.    

The bible is so clear on judgement.   You know, we go on and on about the speck in our neighbor’s eye while carrying around a beam in our own.  All religions have this idea within them.  In AA there are sayings advising us not to be busy taking someone’s else’s inventory, as we should be focusing on taking your own. 

It is one of the hardest things about being human isn’t it.  We are judged on dress and personality and race and sexual preferences and,…and,…and!  And sadly, each of us do our own share of judging.  It is always easier to be more concerned about the other’s windshield than it is to take care of our own.  Training our brains to stop is hard but necessary work.  Developing new habits takes time.  Cleaning our own windshields takes work.  Being quiet about our husband’s or neighbor’s (even if in fact it turns out to be dirtier than our own) takes practice. 

In the end Jesus knew that judgement of others never works for any of us.  It tears down community and we are encouraged to build it up.   

I swallowed my pride and confessed to my husband my failings.  I ended up cleaning his window too as an act of making amends.  Next time I will keep my mouth shut. Let’s work on it together my friends, God helping us.