I was doing some thinking the other day…  This is usually a dangerous occurrence.  For some reason I was reminded of a quote that used to hang on the wall of our English block at school.  It said “The mind is like an umbrella.  It functions best when it is open.”  I remember, at school, at the tender age of twelve, being incredibly skeptical of this quote.  I felt that it was the kind of quote that one could hear and think “ooooh, profound!” but when you actually analysed it, it would end up being absolute rubbish, like so many so-called philosophical insights.  I felt that it was encouraging people to be liberal-minded, not letting their yes be yes and their no be no.

It was only the other day when the quote came back to me, that I was able to reflect upon its true meaning.  It is not an invitation to be liberally minded, but rather to be gracious in the receivership of information.  

I have seen a lot of situations recently that have ruffled my feathers.  These are the plank and speck of dust situations mentioned in the Bible, where people are quick to judge, quick to speak their opinion and offer ‘wisdom’ and slow to listen or to be gracious.  I, for one am constantly guilty of this.  

The Bible says that we should be “quick to listen and slow to speak”.  So often we are quick to speak and almost prophecy our own demise in the process.  Pride before a fall is a phrase oft used and seldom understood, until it happens to us.  For example, we might be quick to condemn the situation of a friend, without acknowledging that our own situation is no better.  The fact that they are further down the line of ‘no better-ness’ does not serve as a warning, rather we sit and gloat that we have not got there yet.

Sometimes we really think we have it all sewn up and we can act like the religious leaders in the Bible.  ”The law/scripture/culture/anything says this and therefore you are wrong and I must treat you like this”.  How did Jesus react in these circumstances?  He often said to the religious leaders that they just didn’t get it.  They were spending so much time following religion, that they did not follow God.  

Jesus was the one who said to the prostitute, (who, according to the law, should have been stoned), that he did not condemn her, even though he was the only one who could.  It was Jesus who healed on the sabbath, contrary to the rules of the religious leaders.  Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, despite cultural tradition.  Jesus went near people with leprosy.  Jesus was reflected in the good samaritan.  Jesus is the good shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to find one who has wandered astray.  Jesus was born in a stable when he deserved the palace of a king.  Jesus healed the ear of the guard who was about to lead him to his death.  Jesus forgave those who killed him.  Jesus forgave you and Jesus forgave me.

Coming back to the quote.  Don’t be so intently fixed on what you think you know is right. I pray that I will also not be.  Ask God for his eyes and ears and mouth.  Be more like an umbrella.  If Jesus can do all of that, whilst being the one person in history who could have done otherwise, then why do we think we have the right to pick at dust whilst avoiding planks?