I will not judge you...

Pluralism, faith, and how we relate to others

I will not judge you if you don’t believe in God.
Please tell me the ways you express love in your life.

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I will not reject you if you don’t believe in Jesus Christ.
Please tell me how you show compassion for others.

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I will not condemn you if you don’t believe in the indwelling Spirit.
Please tell me how you manifest resilience and perseverance.

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I will not scorn you if you don’t believe in the Bible.
Please tell me how you appreciate the wisdom of the past.

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I will not shame you if you don’t believe in the Fall of Humankind.
Please tell me how you cope with our imperfect world.

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I will not shun you if you don’t believe in the Cross.
Please tell me how you foster courage and humility.

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I will not disdain you if you don’t believe in Salvation.
Please tell me the ways in which you express deep gratitude.

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I will not ostracize you if you don’t believe in the Church.
Please tell me how you participate in community.

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I will not disapprove of you if you don’t believe in the Sacraments.
Please tell me all the ways you nurture yourself and others.

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I will not criticize you if you don’t believe in Holiness.
Please tell me how you safeguard your honor and integrity.

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I will not reproach you if you don’t believe in the Last Judgment.
Please tell me how you work for justice, fairness, and equality.

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I will not pity you if you don’t believe in Heaven.
Please join me in cultivating a life filled with wonder and awe.

This poem was inspired by a talk I gave at a retreat recently, where I told the retreatants I didn’t really care if people believed in God, so much as I hoped they believed in love. After giving it some thought, I realized that the older I get, and more I embrace and appreciate the wisdom of mystical traditions from around the world, the less I am worried about such things as orthodoxy, sound doctrine, or “believing the right things.” Jesus instructed his followers not to judge others — and yet Christians often are quite the judgmental bunch, especially toward those who don’t believe as we do. So at the risk of scandalizing those who have strict boundaries around their faith, I hope this poem makes it clear how I want to relate to society at large. Just because I refuse to judge others on their beliefs, don’t assume that means I don’t have convictions of my own. I hope these are beliefs that all people of good will can share.