Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap, for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.

[Adapted from “Not as Things Seem,” Anthony Chvala-Smith, Jul/Aug 2023 Herald, p. 15]

There I stood—old blue jeans, denim jacket, work boots, tool belt, weathered straw hat, and gloves—knocking on Mrs. Jackson’s door. To my eighth-grade self she had seemed ancient. I must have wondered how she could still be living. To my shocked, 38-year-old eyes, she looked exactly as I remembered her when I was 13! She walked me around her yard to show me what she wanted me to do. I tried to strike up a conversation.

“Mrs. Jackson, you might not remember me, but I was in your eighth-grade social studies class.” Scrutinizing me in my work clothes, she said only one thing: “So you didn’t go on to college then.”

Confounded by her assessment, I replied, “Well, yes, I did, Mrs. Jackson. In fact, I just finished my PhD a year ago.” She said nothing and didn’t have to; her face spoke a very loud “You’ve got to be kidding!”

To her eyes nothing about my appearance said “professor” or “scholar” or “Dr.” I didn’t look like Dr. Anybody.

But, appearances, as they say, are deceiving.

She was unable to see there was “more” to me; but was there also more to her than I could see. In her long life, what struggles had she endured? She was a “Mrs.,” but even in school no one knew anything of her husband or of any family. I had no access to her person-forming depths, as she had none to mine.

Here is a sobering lesson about the human condition: We really don’t see each other. This lesson applies equally to the church. Our eyes may see only the disappointing spectacle of “one step forward and two steps back.” And if we dare to look ahead, to borrow 1 John’s language, “it does not yet appear what we shall be.”

But there is more than meets the eye. The church—not unlike Mrs. Jackson and me—has its own, invisible depths. Below the surface of the ragtag, careworn, incompleteness of struggling congregations, what really is at work is not a “what” but a “who”: the Living Christ, who yet tells his disciples, “The kingdom of God is among you.”

We like the shiny facades and tales of glittering success. But the surface is not the depths. To look below the unimpressive exterior, we need a different kind of “sight,” a grace vision that sees more than the old jeans and shabby straw hats of church life. For faith wagers that hidden deep in what we merely think we see is that which the eye has not seen: something of transforming power and breathtaking beauty, yearning to be known, waiting to be released.

Prayer Phrase

“Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

Hope in the Present

Take a moment to pause and reflect on where hope is present in your life. Write down three things that give you hope. It could be a kind word from a friend, the warmth of the sun, or progress toward a goal. If you are facing difficulties, gently remind yourself: “Even now, hope is present. Even now, something new is possible.” Express gratitude for this hope knowing that each day is an opportunity for renewal.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.