Beyond the Gospels: Romans

To read the scriptures from Romans for today's devotional, click here: Romans 2:1-11

There is a saying that we should be careful in pointing our fingers in judgment at someone, for in doing so that same action results in three fingers pointing back at ourselves.

Everyone is a child of God. When we judge, we jump to conclusions without knowing what Paul Harvey used to call “The Rest of the Story.”

There is a video on YouTube (you can find it here: https://youtu.be/68E53lcUIKE) of Christiano Ronaldo, one  of the best soccer players in the world. Set in Spain, in the video Christiano puts on a disguise that makes him look like a homeless man. He then goes to a public plaza where he kicks a soccer ball around and tries to get others to interact with him. For almost an hour, people pass by Ronaldo, refusing to participate with him. A few people interact, but not very much.

Finally a child interacts with him, kicking the soccer ball back and forth with Ronaldo, even though the child does not know the person is Ronaldo. Ronaldo asks the child’s name, and then signs the soccer ball and gives it to the child as he removes his disguise. People begin to recognize him and the cell phones come out to get a picture of the sports star. A crowd gathers around him quickly, so much so that he has to be escorted by security agents away.

And yet just minutes before people ignored him.

Hebrews 2 tells us “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Let us to slow to judge, and quick to love.

Dear Father, help us to resist the temptations to judge others. Let us see others as your children, even if we disagree with their choices or behavior. Let us stand firm in the truth, but extend the same kind of love to others that you have extended to us through Jesus Christ. Amen.