I knew a girl growing up who was crazy-on-fire in her faith. She read her Bible every day, as well as several daily devotionals, took part in Bible studies, and was an integral part of the church youth group. She gave gentle reminders for more righteous behaviors. She was a terrific Christian example for the rest of us to follow.
And she irritated the ever-lovin' mess outta me.
Being around her always made me feel like a terrible person. Her mere presence reminded me of all of my wrongdoings.
So, in an attempt of self-preservation, I made the determination that she was self-righteous, that she was the one who was in the wrong, so I shouldn't be bothered by her silly opinions. I told myself that it wasn't her place to judge others' mistakes. I felt so much better about myself, going about my daily living as I wanted.
I hadn't thought about her in years, until last Sunday when this reading popped up in Mass:
The wicked say:
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
Wisdom 2:12
Suddenly, the girl from my youth came to mind. I thought back to our interactions so many years ago and came to a realization. I stopped listening to her, even became angry with her, because she was obnoxious to me. Not that she was rude or unkind.
Obnoxious.
Perfect word choice, King Solomon
The thing is, I felt uncomfortable around her because I saw that she possessed the true freedom from which my sin was keeping me. I was just projecting my discomfort upon her.
It's one thing to disregard someone who judges others harshly without checking their own walk with God. But don't forget, Christ does call us to help our brothers and sisters by judging trees by the fruits that they bear, Matthew 7:16-20. Believe it or not, there is such a thing as "righteous judgement".
We cannot blame someone else for our pain simply because they pointed it out, when it is our poor decision-making that caused it.
Before you grow annoyed with someone's zeal for the Lord, first discern the reason behind these feelings. Annoyance, in my case, was hiding a much deeper hurt that only Christ could heal. Without that friend's gentle guidance, I would have never felt peace.
And for that, I am #grateful.