John 12:47-49 – If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
And so from Jesus’ own lips we are told that beating people over the head with a bible will not bring anyone to Him. We present the Word with our love and our forgiveness and we leave the judging of their deeds – and ours, by the way – in the hands of the One who created us all. There are many things we do each day that shows our human frailty and failure to be perfect. We must not put upon others a burden that we as the faithful cannot bear! But we can show how true love works by accepting not behaviors but people just as flawed as we are. If their hearts are truly open to Christ, they will change. And they, like we, will be judged by God Almighty. Meantime, we can keep to the Gospel and the One who presented it and love one another as He did.
