Judge and Sifter of Hearts
by jphiker
Walking the Camino, provides one a lot of time to think and sometimes in our thinking we can get judgmental of others. It seems we all do this quite naturally. I find it hard to avoid.
Early on in the Camino we found ourselves very irritated and a little judgmental of those that were riding bikes. Most of our irritation was due to the lack of notification as they approached and passed us by. It often caught us by surprise. It was a constant battle to remain peaceful and not judgmental of those “Italian Stallion” bike riders!
Another “judgmental” issue I had was my thinking that the only proper shoes to walk the Camino were hiking boots. I found I repeatedly had to pull myself back from my “high and mighty” attitude I was carrying along the way. I was so sure I was right and they were going to “pay” for wearing sandals or tennis shoes with a sprained ankle or bruised feet. Wow, it is amazing how easy it can be to fall into this judgmental state of mind!
The big problem with this judgmental state of thinking is how much it steals the joy and peace from the present moment. We are not as aware of all the beautiful things around us when we get into this state. We lose are perspective as well.
We witnessed this with a fellow pilgrim, Susan, that we got to know from Winnipeg. You see she was really “ruining her Camino” with how upset she had gotten at all those pilgrims that were only walking the last 100 kilometers to Santiago. This is all you need to walk to get the prized “Compostela” (a credential you receive when you arrive at the Cathedral in Santiago). Susan was very judgmental of these “100k pilgrims” and she paid the price. It literally was changing her into someone you did not want to be around or walk with at times. It was very sad to see.
Our judgments are a decision we make when the thoughts come up in our mind. We are in control of our decisions. We can decide not to place “that judgment” on the thought that comes to our mind. We can identify that thought and let it go without placing judgment.
I read a great quote from St Augustine saying,”You cannot be a judge and a sifter of hearts”.
This is wise advice to follow for sure!
God Bless!
John and Terri
weareallpilgrims 
Thanks for sharing this, John. It is so easy to be judgmental of others when you are working much harder than they are to achieve similar goals. I really appreciated your sharing this, and the quote from St. Augustine. Your final paragraph and the quote from St. Augustine are well worth remembering.
LikeLike
Thanks for this thoughtful post John. And for not judging me when I don’t wear hiking boots. But you can say, “I told you so”, when my feet get wet or I twist my ankle. 🙂
LikeLike
Years ago when I was 10 years into my martial arts practice, I began training in a second art at an all women’s dojo in Seattle. I loved the climate there: real-world application, diverse students and teachers, and a philosophy rich with non-judgment. Not only was it challenging for me to empty my cup and start with fresh eyes, it was even harder to let go of the ‘instructor within’ and embrace my white belt self. It was a wonderful journey of letting go of shoulds; mine and theirs.
As a parent of adult children, I use that sacred platform to continue my practice of letting go. The more I simply bear witness, the more I settle into my own one and precious life. Non-judgment of others begins with non-judgment of myself.
LikeLike
Thank you for your wisdom, John. I think now that you are retired from Boeing you should become a psychotherapist and pass some of your life lessons on to others who may need them.
LikeLike
Thanks for this topicJohn. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Dan Pearce “People love to say, ‘I love that person even though…’ But let’s be honest. Genuine love is never followed with the words ‘even though.” and then there is another of his “Be a little less obsessed with how I live my life and a little more obsessed with how you live your own.” Sherri
LikeLike