I just learned something today standing in the bathroom of the library at 1:20am
You cannot love people if you do not respect them. It can't happen. True confessions: One thing I hate about London is the smoking, the 'chimneys' who walk around inconveniencing me. So I judge them, call them names as I walk by (in my head of course), make faces and try to make it obvious I don't approve, my silent protest. And you know the worst part? I think I'm clever, witty even. A girl from Azerbaijan just told me her story of how she started smoking and when I 'told' her to quit I felt the judgement all over my words, all over my face. We had a great conversation and I tried to share my faith but something was way off - no one said anything but I was convicted. So I'm learning, I can't walk around London calling people chimneys any more. Each person is an individual with a story, hers was romantic, a little sad... Cigarettes are for her a memory.
Guess it also kinda goes, you can't really love someone if you don't know them. That's why judging is so bad, you'll never get to know those you've judged.
