Best in Show

What?! No guesses? Well, I’ll tell you the answers to Wednesday’s Last Lines Quiz anyway…

1. After all, tomorrow is another day. – 1939, Gone with the Wind

2. Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. – 1942, Casablanca

3. I will see you again, but not yet. Not yet. – 2000, Gladiator

4. We’ve all got our health and as far as anything else is concerned, we still leave that up to You. – 1938, You Can’t Take It With You

5. Eliza! Where the devil are my slippers? – 1964, My Fair Lady

I’ll be throwing more at you one of these days. Just for fun.

Well, as you might imagine, I’m interested in the Oscar nominations announced yesterday. I’m about 50/50 in agreement/disagreement. Of course, I have my favorites. And I’ll be sure to make February 24^th an occasion, a little more so than this weekend when I’ll be tuning into the Golden Globes too.

Award season, however, always gets me thinking – as much as we love to judge ‘best’ in a myriad of circumstances in our lives, there’s just… no such thing.

That’s one reason I love movies so much. I’ve said it before, one person’s Picture of the Year is another person’s most wasted hours ever spent.

So… how can ‘best’ be judged? By anyone?

Well, we do. They do. It’s just our nature, I guess.

That’s why it’s so difficult not to judge people.

Now, I do believe in absolute Truth. The Bible clearly defines right and wrong. And tells us consequences and benefits to obedience and disobedience. But as I understand it, we are not saved to become judges. We are saved to become priests.

Now, in some respect, our job as priests involves pointing out right and wrong and warning fellow wayfarers of the critical pitfalls of sin. HOWEVER, speaking the Truth in love is the process, not condemnation. Pointing out right and wrong, warning of pitfalls, that’s not judgment. Judgment is condemning someone – which tears people down and makes them feel like they have the fate pronounced.

But none of us have that authority.

Only One does. And only One has the authority and right to spare us that judgment.

Let’s, then, stick to the calling and be priests. What do you say?

As far as reward season is concerned, though, I’ll stay the judge. K?

Happy Weekending, Dry Ground friends!

(photo by photobucket.com)