I found this quote attributed to Meister Eckhart, a 14th century mystical theologian: “It often happens that people spurn the least, and thus they deprive themselves from getting the most in the least, which is wrong.”* I’m not sure exactly what Eckhart meant by “least,” but I interpret it as referring to people. We human beings judge people in a way that makes us undervalue each other.

I knew someone who never held an exalted position in life. He had made some bad choices. Added to that, he was short. People often dismissed him as a result, yet he was one of the most insightful people I’ve ever met. He was always exploring the why of things, probing the depths of things. When we were developing our church’s mission statement, he contributed the phrase that part of our mission was to “experience the presence of God.” My gosh, that’s something most churches miss.

We use worldly judgement rather than godly judgement to our determent. James warned early Christians about it. “Suppose you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say to him, ‘Please have a seat.’ But you say to the poor man, ‘Stand over there,’ or ‘Sit on the floor at my feet.’ Aren’t you discriminating against people and using a corrupt standard to make judgments?” (James 2:3-4).

You never know what gift God is sending you in another person. We’ll never find out unless we receive others as if they were Christ himself.

Read Hebrews 13:2  and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

*”The Master’s Final Words,” Meister Eckhart.