Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Danielle Kingstrom

Home
Progressive Christian
Conversation Can End Condemnation

Conversation Can End Condemnation

Last updated on: June 22, 2020 at 11:03 am by Danielle Kingstrom

Conversation Can End Condemnation 2020-06-22T11:03:40-06:00 Danielle Kingstrom

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

https://unsplash.com/photos/LQ1t-8Ms5PY

Conversations are controversial because there is a potential to understand that which you oppose. Once one is willing to understand the thing that they originally opposed, there is no longer opposition—which means there is no longer division. Can you imagine what the world could look like if we left the opportunistic potentiality of division by the wayside and discovered we are all One?

Conversations are ways in which we connect to Other. A connection operates on the same frequency that leads to the love of the neighbor. It is because we are not willing to connect with our neighbor that we have been so deficient in our capacity to love our neighbor as God loves us and as we are called to love ourselves. We haven’t connected to our neighbor.

After I read Psychedelic Christianity by Jack Call, I was invited to consider a new view of my neighbor: by proximity. Initially, that was a jarring realization. In turn, I sought a new way of understanding people. I wanted to reduce the lack of connections I had created in order to fully understand myself. Oddly, that meant I had to understand others more compassionately and without judgment. It means that I resist the desire to judge others because in doing so, I condemn myself. (Romans 2:1)

More so, it means that I start offering grace to those whom I have condemned because they have condemned me. For there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) And to start, this means that I extend grace to my in-laws who have wreaked havoc on my marriage. This means that I extend grace and forgiveness to my mother and sisters, despite the treacherous and wretched things they have accused me of. From there, it means that all those whom I have decided no longer “deserve” my friendship will be but a peaceful memory in my mind and heart as I let all the anger and contempt dissolve.

This does not mean that I invite these people back into my life. It means that I show gratitude for the place they served in my life, to reflect the things I needed to see. What did I need to see? The capacity within me to do, say, and behave exactly as they do. That’s what Romans 2:1 is about to me. It’s about acknowledging that when I am willing to condemn another, to judge another, I must be also willing to point toward myself and see that I have the potential to mimic each and every extreme behavior that another does for ill.

That’s not a simple task. Taken to the extreme depravity of humankind, that means I must be willing to see myself as Hitler, as a pedophile, as a sex-trafficker, as a slave-trader, as a rapist, as a murderer, as a racist. Many of us are not willing to admit that if given a different set of circumstances in life, each, and every one of us has the potential to choose evil over good. Given a completely different set of experiences, each one of us has the potential to be the next Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, or Kim Jong-un.

The truth is what sets us free. In freeing ourselves—our minds and our hearts—we must be willing to look at that which we condemn and judge as evil and accept that in our freedom, in our free will, we elected to choose good over evil but that doesn’t mean that choice was easily made. Who of us has not been tempted to act on our anger and vindictive thoughts? Who of us has not been seduced into believing that just this once, we could take our revenge, and no one would know?

It’s dangerous for us to sit on the sides and cling to the idea that we are not as potentially evil as the evil we see around us. Are we sinners or saints? And if we are so willing to call ourselves saints, are we also willing to suggest that the evil we see practiced is practiced by saints as well? Or are they the sinners and we are the saints?

No. What I see transpiring in humankind is our inability to recognize that the evil we call out is the evil we have the capacity to perpetuate. We must be mindful of this when we are willing to condemn another.

*You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. (*Romans 2:1)

How do we counteract this way of judging others? Conversation. Conversations must be had, no matter how controversial the questions and exchanges may be. The context of any conversation will always depend on the authentic shared experiences of others with a willingness to be bold enough to tell their truths. If everyone’s views cannot be received equally, equality will never reign as a virtue embraced by all.

If we are not willing to come together to converse and share our experiences, we will never be able to understand the other and therefore will be left inept to remedy the problems of the heart. Our hearts are suffering from our unwillingness to listen to the heart of another. In doing so, we only perpetuate the evils that we claim we want to end. So, let’s get to talking to one another and once we have joined the discussion, remember the words of James 1:19, My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

For those of you who want to hear authentic conversations about controversial topics where understanding the other is focal, check out my podcast, Recorded Conversations.

About Danielle Kingstrom

Danielle is a writer, podcaster, and home-school teacher. She lives in rural Minnesota on a farm with her husband and five children. Together, they maintain a fourth generation legacy farm and raise chickens and cattle. When she is not reading, writing, or self-educating; she can be found outdoors in nature’s naked elements. Danielle is an avid gardener, a lover of art, knowledge, and always a student. She is active in revitalization projects within her community, partnering with committees to bridge the Rural Divide. Unafraid of sparking controversy, Danielle is a frequently published author, appearing regularly in her community’s local newspaper; writing about provocative issues and asking challenging questions that raise a few eyebrows. She is currently working on two books. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

June 17, 2020

Monogamy is Not For Everyone?

Next Post

June 23, 2020 Let's Stop Attacking Authenticity

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Authentic Connection Ego Love Self Suffering Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What currency did Judas receive for betraying Jesus?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Gold Copper Silver Bronze