Judge Not...

This is a short one. In liturgies of the Eastern Churches, there is a very specific prayer to be prayed by everyone who will receive the holy mysteries (communion). It starts like this: I believe and confess, Lord, that you are truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first.

We so often hear Christians speaking about 'sinners' as though this referred only to people other than themselves, as in when they speak about "loving the sinner," while hating the sin. Most often, truth be told, we are all infinitely more likely to love the sin of hating the sinner.

I want to encourage everyone who reads this (yes, all 4 of you), to adopt the practice of never saying (or even thinking) the word "sinners" without immediately adding the words, "of whom I am the worst." See if it has any effect.