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Dear San Marco Church Community: In his communication with the life group this week, Mark Coombes mentioned the line from Ted Lasso that goes, “Be curious, not judgmental.” Mark effectively tied this quote in with the admonition from the New Testament book of James that reads, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” (James 1: 19). This teaching is something I need to remember again and again. While the ability to evaluate and make judgments about situations and people is important for our survival as humans, quick judgments about people can prevent us from learning about and caring for those most in need of our care. We can be so quick to reach conclusions that our capacity for understanding and empathy is suspended. When we make judgments about people, we put them in categories that inevitably simplify the nature of their experiences. Even if there is some truth in our judgments, they almost never give us the full picture. For example, there may be legitimate reasons to conclude that someone is ungrateful or bitter. However, if we stop with that judgment, we may miss the fact that the person struggles with deep trauma or depression from previous life experiences. We may miss the reality that the person suffers from a mental health disorder that prevents them from engaging the world in a positive manner. When we miss these realities, we ignore the many ways that we may be helpful to others. Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is to seek to understand. As I shared in last Sunday’s message, our goal as Christians is to adopt the “mind of Christ.” To me, this means taking the time to understand others and to see the image of God that is planted within us all. I don’t really think this is possible without the help of God’s Spirit giving us patience and insight. As we enter the month of October, Sunday October 4 is recognized as World Communion Sunday. It is one of my favorite Sundays of the year because it encourages a celebration of the worldwide body of Christ. We are a diverse and beautiful tapestry of God’s very own handiwork. I will be exploring 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26 on Sunday, with a message on the significance and importance of the sacrament of Holy Communion. I appreciate your prayers and support of San Marco Church. Let’s look forward to worshipping together Sunday! Steve Hart
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