October 13, 2006

Judging Others

It was after 8 o’clock in the evening when I saw the teenagers.  They made me nervous.

As I left the supermarket with a small bag of groceries I noticed the sizeable parking lot looked nearly empty.  Just a few silent cars waiting to go home.  With the sun barely below the horizon the parking lot lights began to blink on.  At the far end of the asphalt four figures leapt a low line of shrubs and started walking in my direction.  The group consisted of one white male, one black male and two Hispanic males all in their late teens.  Even in the rapidly diminishing light of dusk I could see the swagger in their step.  And by the look of their dress they seemed ready to show the world what ‘cool’ really was. 

Every generation has statement clothes.  Clothes to signal the ultimate in fashion, hip-ness, or rebelliousness.  We’ve seen tie-dyes, bellbottoms, hip huggers, leather jackets, ripped jeans, and baggy pants just to name a few.  These four walking toward me were dressed for statement.  I thought I knew their statement as clearly as if posted on a billboard.  Each wore clothes that looked about four sizes too big.  Oversized jeans, baggy, long-sleeved sports jersey’s and two wore what appeared to be bulky ski vests.

Now late summer in Orlando tends to be hot, muggy, and uncomfortable when you’re outdoors.  During this time of the year people generally wear the breeziest shorts and lightest t-shirts they can find.  Anyone seen in long pants and long sleeve shirts is bound to draw attention—especially pants as heavy as denim.  No matter, these clothes weren’t worn for practicality.  They were for attitude.  To complete the look, each one had some distinctive feature.  One wore a baseball cap turned backwards with a bead necklace adorning his chest.  One wore a skull cap low over his forehead and slightly crooked.  One had a mini mustache and scraggly goatee.  The forth wore a pair of dark oblong sunglasses unnecessary after nightfall.

Walking across the parking lot I could see our paths would meet near my car.  This made me uncomfortable.  I glanced around for signs of other shoppers but saw none.  This wasn’t a bad part of town, but the thought of meeting these four in a nearly empty parking lot at nightfall didn’t excite me.  Could they be thugs, gang-members, or grocery snatchers after my butter and bananas?  Fumbling in my pocket for keys I quickened my pace.  But it was no use.  The baggy bunch would arrive at my car first.  I could see their heads bowed, eyes studying the pavement as they approached.  Were they trying to avoid my gaze?  I listened for snatches of conversation to see if I could get a hint of their plans.  Then I heard the goatee speak. 

 “No, no, look, look, lookie.  If God came down here and really died for me, how could I say no to something like that.  You know what I’m sayin’?”  

Silence.  For a few moments no one spoke.  As they walked right past me, each baggy dressed boy glanced up, bobbed his head in greeting, then quickly looked down again as if in deep thought.  After they passed, I caught one more line from the goatee. 

“God can change everything, man.  Everything.” 

More silence.  Then it was my turn to examine the pavement.  My mother taught me to never judge a book by its cover--just like yours probably did.  But I really didn’t think I was judging these four books wrong.  Their covers were just too obvious.  But I agree with goatee.  God can change everything. 

He can change hearts and minds.  He can change events and circumstances.  He can change lives and destinies.  He can even change a sorry heart like mine that’s too quick to judge others.  Too quick to write off people different from me.  To quick to reject those who don’t look or act or talk like me.  Too quick to judge people by my standards rather than by God’s.   

“...the Lord does not see as man sees;  for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  I Samuel 16:7  NKJV

Todd Chobotar
Mission Development
Florida Hospital