%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 19 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 15 0 R /I2 16 0 R /I3 23 0 R /I4 24 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 17 0 R /GS2 18 0 R /GS3 21 0 R /GS4 22 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250510234507+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250510234507+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1954 >> stream xXM6Wޒ*oI>:ɺUM!DB<$Adgw_)55'^78wlo(+EZEYSbzݿ{{I?豗;iiAyE'KUYG9nAWU7:RLs_0#]$QqR$QY؛Q.>,~qVJ7ѝ$Փ[3*V ;wntJs7&Wis@@dy4[):VXlh*C+%@U{R=u'#۝s@yN!$J<`}=h$'Zgje̠ضZ?leTҀ߉Ŷ=V{1 agmHK /hǽJQvoutVohf$^zX g(-C)éoASNe~%]D2I(vxVd Fݑ^"XNq`h'rN@sSrsP(TT{[IڐZ+0njMeI(G4zi"ٜnu*2| +(R~oHGEe酪 CG^!ό$qo9*a/XC80S4Uv+C  2q !;if{`~AZ;$)jOK2 PU7Ѳ"n-KIk9'Z}v /B+,Gx]1XxIR RRW9;$ >~7^H?38ӂ0j)j  Lmfb(:C0 ݀+AzQ<*FfeZ3,(hy^zRtg.ޡF9XmxF\ԇ[z BbW ֋!ChRTФ&$sd± 3E! UEC4\TW"րVڣDxkW7A IsDAk B $F~X!̊ua#X Au(W/aZJKxatm[rZgZdpnt9H3U\]=GAt_0BuYFq:`0zKMkf04~#ܗqT9(sxPMQ/,Yݨ  r%AagK/hjxu}>yzhwTxp Z}wyXp@ErI˘F{I[npVѭ#IψCʼnjwp:usЛF@^Un*m0|g-:qt(R{8?މJtI` /}Oq'KlX4b>!;MV1'8y~r J^cل[ ۅi'M)pe48UUaa2آGt~IC׭LeSm%yKڄ7e cu'Yt:([w!sLp VvnoX8srʂ$@b'Hc:_џXMI5Y3ېI=WSmI2Fգmv7Xays{!h{/e(0jm}Z$t}.Y-SQ/~++Ѧ.Kb^~xghğ~MQfbvtߕfg~b} endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 20 0 R >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1525 >> stream xWM6ﯘc jm; E A==F"f7)"H1CdIE{J->ܿ~Wg)i)];o~z eieyÊ#E5[@cx+ŖH꼎lasKRCK;i^\gE. {]-)dVϟ@ʴUfyRV3U*E:OgDyd1+#Of=Ms3y'dY58otǤڬwlh=<kjD(ݎ۱ d N'EGl dœvA`۱ 6PFwr[=h+,>Ms+K^u] M>KYAU [{a@{rE; `Faz7VUK[*K CBkaK䷬b t~3JV[imKf \85ytZ>Wx*9Q/T; @Wrnݍ[sŀ5jҐ5w+;aϝA*N-BKϿD5Y5 RS Ċ0kK7Y AYxkY |^%1$"1pe4hzAjpO\*tʍK`p-%ǘB> jZ1D1mܞ%V#2^2Z׃{HGxȨa{h7mPq½5v_`E ,z/)k <TlZ|aAy\)$Oч 5KRwD+9)ؾtu4w6YQ/]սjfW,hoY׼C7uiB: 7$6q'rIoIVXLS[!(bVj2h4f\>_v{A#:ӳQg _Z endstream endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj xref 0 25 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000461 00000 n 0000000498 00000 n 0000000647 00000 n 0000000750 00000 n 0000002777 00000 n 0000002884 00000 n 0000002992 00000 n 0000003102 00000 n 0000003215 00000 n 0000003331 00000 n 0000003360 00000 n 0000003470 00000 n 0000009045 00000 n 0000010176 00000 n 0000010235 00000 n 0000010294 00000 n 0000010399 00000 n 0000011998 00000 n 0000012055 00000 n 0000012112 00000 n 0000017687 00000 n trailer << /Size 25 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[<252532fe850aab977f3df2c1f3ba1303><252532fe850aab977f3df2c1f3ba1303>] >> startxref 18818 %%EOF On the Corner | Caring Magazine

On the Corner

Listen to this article

By Robert Docter –

I want to talk some about motes and beams.

I’ve noticed both in myself and in the human condition in general the predisposition to look unfavorably on the character and actions of others which leads to pronouncing rash, condemning, unjust and unlovely judgement on them. I believe this often stems from a need to find a fault in others which we have concluded to be most distasteful within ourselves. Psychologists call this projection.

Jesus explored this entire matter in a series of succinct, seemingly disconnected statements in the Sermon on the Mount–for me, easily, the most important passage of the New Testament. The 7th chapter of Matthew begins with: Judge not, that ye be not judged. I sense that while he is highly concerned about the judgment itself, he is even more concerned about the spirit from which the judgment springs. It is when the spirit of the judgment is unlovely that we distance ourselves from his teaching.

It is impossible to go through life without making discriminations. We choose between good and evil, between right and wrong on the basis of discriminations we make. These discriminations are judgments. We are not directed to stop acting on these kinds of decisions. We start getting into trouble when with an unlovely spirit we condemn the actions and choices of others.

The second verse delineates the consequences of an unlovely spirit in the judging process. We will be measured, judged, assessed, examined in the same manner that we judge others. Some people think this judgment takes place only on judgment day. Wrong! It takes place daily. The seeds of an unlovely spirit bear a bitter fruit of isolation, distrust, alienation–from self, from others and from God.

Most of our communication with others takes place in our non-verbal presentation–in our facial expressions, the way we look, relate, approach or distance–in the tone of our voice, the syntax of our sentences, our posture and gestures. When we make judgments with an unlovely spirit about someone we push them away, and the message we send in the process reverberates and returns to us as the other person, feeling victimized in our presence, attempts some act of self defense. It is either flight or fight. Neither results in anything like a positive, growing relationship. We blame them, and their behavior reinforces our prior judgment. What we have forgotten is that their behavior occurs as a response to our judgment of them.

Then, in the third verse we get to motes and beams.

Our tendency to see faults in others while ignoring even greater faults within ourselves reveals a desperate inconsistency and is the product of an unlovely spirit. A “mote,” of course, is a small particle of dust, making itself visible to us through a ray of strong sunlight. It floats and moves through the air as a minor impure element from which our natural bodies protect us. We breathe it in unknowingly, yet we simultaneously filter it out. It’s not the particles of dust in our eyes that diminish us, it is the beam which inhibits our ability to perceive the world around us with any measure of accuracy.

Some individuals rail against the sins of others and are unable to view that in their own life which alienates them from God. They are “beam-blinded.” And because the beam gets in the way of their external view, they can only perceive that which is within them. They project that view on all about them and thus reap its bitter consequence. I wonder when these “most devout” among us will rail against back-biting–against gluttony–against grudge-carrying non-forgiveness–against diminishing labeling–against gender biased sexism–against racial stereotyping prejudice. I wonder when the sins of denominationism will be confronted–when narrowness and provincialism will be examined–when war will be unjustified and child beating stopped–when substance abuse in the form of caffeine or food or sweets or fats are deprogrammed zealously. Why are we so quick to believe the worst about people and ignore the best? Why are we so needy of self esteem that we diminish those around us?

The challenge is self-examination. As we commit ourselves to developing a lovely spirit we begin to interact with those around us in a loving way. This says: “I care about you”– rather than: “I condemn you.”

Let’s be about this task together.

You May Also Like