don't judge others by appearance

A few months ago in West end church, I met a young man and his girlfriend after a service. They had more tattoos and piercings than anybody I had ever seen. The man had tattoos from his arm to neck, even on his face. His girlfriend had hundreds of different piercings. To be honest, at first, a critical spirit rose up in me. I had thoughts that they must have many problems in their life. But I tried to replace my critical eyes with God´s merciful eyes on them. When I did, I had a different perspective. I was glad to make friends with them because I then learned that they are international students as well at QUT. In addition, the man was the leader of a very successful heavy metal band in Amsterdam. He told me that this is the first time he walked into an Australian church. He gave me one of their CDs with songs he had written after listening to God’s sound. After conversing with them, I found out they were not anything like what I had assumed. I suddenly recalled what Bilton’s books said that creativity allows people to have the freedom to express their thinking and insight. They had rights to do unusual and imaginative tattoos and piercings on their bodies. They were two of the most genuine people. People today are so quick to judge others by their outside appearance and quick to find fault with them. If others are just a little bit different, we look up and down at and start to become critical to them. But we are not them. Do not judge others because we do not know what they have been through. We do not know the life they have lived and the obstacles they have faced. They might have a thousand tattoos covering them; they might not dress the way we would like to dress but it does not give us a right to judge them. We can understand them when we find at least one thing that is right about them. We have been forgiven much by God for our undesirable behaviours such as resentment and jealousness when we have read the Bible’s truth. Similarly, we should have a spontaneous love for others in church rather than simply judge their external appearance.