"Judge Not Your Brother . . . "

While traveling by air to Los Angeles a few weeks ago, I became immersed in the above titled song by Eric Bibb. As I played it over and over again the words became crystal clear, and my attitude began to change. I found I needed to take a hard look at how I regarded the people in my life, and in doing so also found I owed an apology to several.

As a child I was raised in a home where judgment prevailed right alongside anger and fear. It appears God chose that day in the air - headphones plastered to my ears - to show me how I brought that attitude into my adult life. I believe God let me go deep within myself through the words of this song, and I'm thankful for a Heavenly Father Who never stops showing me new (and old) things about myself.

Judge Not Your Brother (lyrics by Eric Bibb)

Passed a young man on the street dressed in rags couldn’t have been more than 25
Lying on the sidewalk in a sleeping bag and a sign that read:
Your kindness keeps me alive
I remember I stopped and turned around couldn’t hold my tongue saying something about that sign bothers me
So I asked him, “Why’s a guy like you healthy, white and young living off working folk’s charity?” He said,

Judge not your brother
Walk a mile in his shoes
You see he’s doing the best that he can do
Like me and you

My mouth fell open wide shocked by the truth
The look in his eyes was wise and sad
He said, “Brother, I was born a rich man’s son, but I gave it all away, every last dollar I ever had”.
He wanted to know how it felt to be humbled by disdain, pity and indignation.
He asked me if I’d read the book Black Like Me. He said it was his inspiration.

Judge not your brother
Walk a mile in his shoes
You see he’s doing the best that he can do
Like me and you

Just when we think we know what’s really going on
Life serves us a surprise
A lesson to learn again and again
‘Cause we’ve all been victimized by prejudice and lies

Judge not your brother
Walk a mile in his shoes
You see he’s doing the best that he can do
Judge not your brother
Walk a mile in his shoes
You see he’s doing the best that he can do
Like me and you.