C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity (part 1)

I've been reading through C.S. Lewis' book "Mere Christianity", and have been struck by several points he makes on how we, as Christians, look on others.

"That is why Christians are told not to judge. We see only the results which a
man's choices make out of his raw material. But God does not judge him on the
raw material at all, but on what he has done with it. Most of the man's
psychological make-up is probably due to his body: when his body dies all that
will fall off him, and the real central man, the thing that chose, that made the
best or the worst out of this material, will stand naked. All sorts of nice
things which we thought our own, but which were really due to a good digestion,
will fall off some of us: all sorts of nasty things which were due to complexes
or bad health will fall off others. We shall then, for the first time, see every
one as he really was. There will be surprises."

If you didn't read it slowly...I encourage you, go back and read it again. Lewis makes such a crucial point in this paragraph, one that is a valuable lesson for all of us.

Often times, we look at the outer appearance of someone like a panhandler or homeless man and shun because of his poor health habits or his apparent laziness. One day, all that will be stripped away and we will see that man on the curb for who he really was. Who knows? Maybe he has a heart of joy and love for the Lord disguised under the scrawny appearance. What C.S. Lewis points out is that the ones driving the cars wear disguises too. One day, all that will be stripped away and we will see you for who you really are.

In other words, we don't have reason to judge others because we can't see their heart.

This past summer I got to watch a homeless man sit down with one of my friends and tell her all the things he's learning in scripture...the prophesies of Jesus and how each was fulfilled, etc. Yet I know church-goers who haven't cared any more about the Bible than this homeless man.

Save the judging for the Lord, the One who sees all our hearts plainly and before whom we'll all have to give an account one day.