Matthew 7:1-5 – Do no judge, or you too will be judged
Jesus said to his disciples: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”
Reflection written by Mike Russo, traveled with wife, Viviane in 2011
When we first set out for Nairobi, I was apprehensive of what we would find. I’d seen my share of movies and documentaries set in African slums, but I also knew there would be no preparation for when the screen was lifted and I was experiencing first-hand the difficult conditions in which so many of the people of Dandora live. Upon arriving, it was a different reality to be sure – men with assault rifles guarding gas stations, shanties made of corrugated scrap metal, people foraging the city dump for recycled pieces they could sell, and vulture-like marabou storks perpetually circling overhead. And yet, what I was least prepared for was how loving and joyful so many of the parishioners were. They were not blind to their circumstances, but they so clearly made the choice to accept them and find happiness with God and Holy Cross as their guides. I have never known a more hospitable and friendly group of people, with such a vibrant sense of community. Seeing their happiness in a world with so little made me reassess how we define happiness in our own culture, and perhaps redefine it in my own life.
When we first set out for Nairobi, I was apprehensive of what we would find. I’d seen my share of movies and documentaries set in African slums, but I also knew there would be no preparation for when the screen was lifted and I was experiencing first-hand the difficult conditions in which so many of the people of Dandora live. Upon arriving, it was a different reality to be sure – men with assault rifles guarding gas stations, shanties made of corrugated scrap metal, people foraging the city dump for recycled pieces they could sell, and vulture-like marabou storks perpetually circling overhead. And yet, what I was least prepared for was how loving and joyful so many of the parishioners were. They were not blind to their circumstances, but they so clearly made the choice to accept them and find happiness with God and Holy Cross as their guides. I have never known a more hospitable and friendly group of people, with such a vibrant sense of community. Seeing their happiness in a world with so little made me reassess how we define happiness in our own culture, and perhaps redefine it in my own life.
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