Judge Not

On Sunday February 2, at 6:30 p.m., Richard Sherman and the Seattle Seahawks will run into Metlife Stadium to take on the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. To get there, the Seahawks had to beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship. After a thrilling game, few could forget the post game interview with the victorious Richard Sherman.
Take a listen:

My initial reaction was, "Man you are cocky." While surfing on social media, I realized many people were also expressing their opinions about Richard Sherman, although rather strongly. The most notable label people were giving him was "thug." After all, he is a black football player from Compton, California, one of the gang hubs of southern Los Angeles. He was almost suspended four games in 2012 for supposedly violating the NFL's performance enhancing drug policy. This is certainly enough evidence to call him a thug, right?

Honestly, my first opinion of Richard Sherman was that he was a thug too. When he was a rookie, I didn't like his cockiness, and he seemed to be a loud mouth trash talker. My opinion changed when I read a Sports Illustrated article about him two years ago on an airplane. Little did I know that Richard Sherman was salutatorian of his high school. And little did I know that he chose to go to Stanford instead of power house USC because he wanted to be a role model for kids in his crime ridden hometown. Now kids from Compton know it's possible to go to an elite college, if they work hard enough. Hard work seems to be a notable trait of the Sherman family. Every day, Richard Sherman's dad gets up at 4:00 a.m. to collect the trash of Los Angeles residents. After reading that article, I was humbled. I should not have judged him so harshly.  

If you're more interested in the specifics, take a look at what Richard Sherman wrote about himself in the column he regulary writes for Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback (MMQB) site: http://mmqb.si.com/2013/07/18/richard-sherman-introduction/

I'm sure a lot of other sports fans would be humbled too, if they gave some effort to actually get to know Richard Sherman instead of judging him on his post game interview. After all, he has a right to call himself the best cornerback in the NFL. In his young career, he has a total of 20 interceptions. That is the second most interceptions ever for any player in someone's first three seasons. In order to get to know Richard Sherman on a more personal level, I encourage you to check out this Buzz Feed list: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjkiebus/23-reasons-richard-sherman-is-quietly-one-of-the-most-likabl

To me, Richard Sherman is a compassionate person who has an extreme passion for playing football. Instead of living like a cocky superstar, he leaves his emotions on the field and is charitable off it. He is involved with the Blanket Coverage foundation to help kids have adequate school supplies and clothes. Hopefully you watched the video associated with number "22." on the Buzz Feed list. All in all, Richard Sherman is not a thug. It is a shame that myself and others judged him to be.

Jesus says in Luke 6:37: 

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 

It can't get more straightforward than that.

  

Even though God says do not judge, I believe it is humanly impossible not to judge. The trick is how permanent you make your judgment.  

Jesus goes on to state in Luke 6:42:

"How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." 

In my mind, Jesus is telling me to take a step back before I judge and to reconsider what facts I am using to label someone. One of my favorite ways to do this is to start a conversation with the person. Often, I discover that my initial perception was way off.

As Richard Sherman sprints onto the field this Sunday, I hope that people will view him in a new and more accurate light. When negatively judging others, take a step back and consider what the truth really is. If possible, maybe open your mouth and start a conversation. I'm sure Richard Sherman will be jawing his plenty this Sunday night.

The song for the week deals with not judging. Take it away Bob.

 

What is real?

In this day and age, it is hard for me to determine what is real and what is fake. Life is getting too fast and too technologically advanced. Here are a couple of examples where the "real or fake" question pops in my head.

Have you ever looked at any juice labels lately? One might read something like this: "Made with real fruit juice." I wish I didn't have to be told that what I'm drinking is real or 100% natural. Shouldn't I expect everything to be made with real ingredients? Sometimes they cost too much money though. So instead, I must consume chemicals that taste like real ingredients. Are drinks real or fake?

Another example in my life deals with advertisements. I'm told that fast food is made fresh, that cars can prevent crashes automatically, and that my insurance agent magically appears if I sing a jingle. Obviously I don't believe everything I hear during a commercial. I just wonder if any of what I hear is true. It's scary how commercials manipulate our brains. For example, complete this jingle: Five dollar, five dollar ___________. Are commercials real or fake?

Also, music these days is tricking my mind. When I listen to the radio, I always ask myself, "Is that his or her real voice, or is that autotune I hear? I wish more artists would stop manipulating their voices. I can't even tell what notes are humanly possible to sing anymore. Is music real or fake?

Here's the big question. Is God real or fake? It is very easy for me to say God is not real. I've never seen God. Nobody has ever taken a picture of heaven for me to see. If God was real, why does He let war occur? The arguments could go on and on.

The reason I know God is real is because I can feel His spirit. If you don't believe that I can feel his spirit, consider this scenario. Let's say someone comes up to me and asks,
           "How do you know your parents love you?"

My first answer would simply be,
          "They've told me they love me."

Let's say the person follows up by asking,
          "How do you know they aren't lying?"

My answer would be,
           "Because I can feel their love daily."

God is a lot like love. You can't explain it. You just have to believe that it exists. You have to share it with others and seek it for yourself.

The song for the week deals with believing. Hopefully we can all believe that God exists somehow in our lives. The lyrics "don't stop believin', hold on to that feelin" remind me to never stop believing in God and to always feel his love. Happy New Year everybody!