JUDGE WITH CARE

Thursday, July 24, 2008

William Barclay tells the story of traveling late at night on a train outside of London. There was only one other person in the compartment with him and he did not look like the kind of person one would choose as a traveling companion. He was dressed in a strange way and hadn’t shaved recently. Barclay decided it might be safer to stay awake than to go to sleep.

When the train made a brief stop the young man asked Barclay if he would like a cup of tea. Barclay said he would and the young man dashed out and came back with two cups of tea. He then asked: “Would you like something to eat, sir?” Again, Barclay said “Yes.”
He thought the man had purchased some sandwiches when he went out for the tea. But no, it wasn’t that. He reached up to the luggage rack and opened his suitcase. He brought out a flat steak-pie which he broke in half and presented a piece to Barclay. And in spite of Barclay’s protest, would take none of it back.

The young man, whom he thought to be a danger, was one of the kindest people he had met for a long time.

William Barclay said this caused him to recall three rules:
(a Don’t jump to conclusions. (b) Don’t make rash judgments. (c) If you must judge others, make sure you think the best of them, and not the worst.

“Judge not that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1)