Judging Precious

Last week I finally saw the movie Precious. I thought it was great, even though some parts were really hard to sit through. Mo’nique definitely earned that Oscar!

As I watched Precious, one thought kept going through my head: “I think I know this girl.”

I work at a public library, and some of our patrons are from the “other side of the tracks,” so to speak. I get along well with everyone, but I find myself sometimes silently judging them. “Oh look, another sixteen-year-old with two kids, and neither one have the same father. How stereotypical.” But after watching Precious I wonder if I’ve got it all wrong. What if there’s more going on? What if she’s carrying a dark secret?

Maybe that’s why Jesus says not to judge (Matthew 7:1). I can only see what’s going on on the outside; I don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes (and maybe I don’t want to know).

Do you find yourself silently judging people? Have you every thought there might be more going on than what you see?