Category: Tom’s Corner

Sebastian Junger wrote a very compelling book called “War.” It chronicles the combat experiences of an American platoon in Afghanistan. The trust, camaraderie, service and sacrifice these men showed one another was so powerful and extraordinary that the platoon leader extended his combat tour for a second year despite the daily horrors of his first year. When Junger asked him how he could possibly return for more war, the young soldier said that he would not find powerful brotherhood like what he experienced in Afghanistan anywhere else.

It is easy to lock in our roles as fathers, mothers, and children. Most of us live within routines that cause us to say and do the same things over and over. We go to work or school at the same places, hang out with the same people, look at the same screens, and engage in the same activities. We get comfortable. This is not necessarily negative, but sometimes God wants to shake up our lives. Get us out of our comfort zones.

Jesus was extremely clear when He said, “Do not judge.” Judgments are opinions or evaluations seen through the particular lens and worldview of the one making them. Perhaps Jesus was trying to save us the pain and trauma of being evaluated by others who do not know our entire story. Even the most well intended parents cannot know exactly what thoughts and feelings pervade the every day lives of their kids. So Jesus tells us to forego making judgments.