3rd August

Do Not Judge

Do not judge others, or you, too, will be judged. For in the same way that you judge others, you will be judged. Matthew 7:1

The camel never sees its own hump, but its neighbour’s hump is ever before it.
Arab proverb

A desert Christian, coming into Scete, asked a local brother to lead him to two desert fathers he had long desired to meet. His first choice was to see Arsenius. Arsenius received him, prayed, and sat with him in silence; so the brother who acted as guide said ‘I must take my leave’ and the confused visitor did likewise. Then they went to Abba Moses,a former thief who had been converted. Moses gave them a meal and entertained them both royally. The guide asked his visiting friend  ‘Which of the two is more to your liking?’ ‘To my mind the one who gave us a good welcome and meal,’ the visitor replied.

This came to the ears of one of the fathers who prayed ‘Lord, reveal to me how it is that one man serves you by withdrawing from sight and speech, and another serves you by being a good fellow with everyone.’ He was shown the answer in a dream: Two ships sailed down the river. In one he saw the Holy Spirit sailing with Father Arsenius in silence and peace. In the other boat he saw Father Moses, and the angels of God were feeding him with lashings of honey.
Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Whenever I say ‘they’ I should hear an alarm bell.
D. Prescott

There but for the grace of God go I.
Traditional British saying

Christ be in heart of foe and stranger
Christ be in those who drive me to anger
Christ be in me to welcome and ‘manger’.