After listening to the news yesterday, I found myself shaking my head about folks who… And that is a problem. Not their problem; it is mine. Time for a reality check.

If I think I am not influenced by my culture, I probably am. If I think I know more than those other folks, I probably don’t. If I wonder how anyone could “fill-in-the-blank”, I could easily be a victim of the same behavior. If I ponder how folks could fall for “fill-in-the-blank”, I may be the next to fall. If I think folks in a particular other state are all clueless, I may be the clueless one. If I think my kids would never, my kids are out there “nevering” right now behind my back. If I think folks who watch that other news channel, go to that other church, vote for the other party, attend that other school, have lesser education, or are from the other generation are brainwashed, it may be me who has been indoctrinated.

Every so often I get fed up with those other folks and that is when I am most dangerous. That is when I am the problem. People may be flawed in different ways, but we are all still flawed. I have come to realize that it is when I watch the news and spend time on social media that I get most pompous about my good choices and their bad choices. It makes me feel angry, uptight and hopeless. That is my sign to step away. But not only do I need to back off of the news and social media, I need desperately to engage with folks that are living in a different walk of life than me. I need to see them eye to eye and listen to their stories. This is the only hope for my judgmental condition. This is the only way I can learn to humble myself and dig out of my prideful existence.

I must periodically remind myself that God made us all. We live all over a big globe. We are raised in so many different cultures. There is not a culture that has the inside track on wisdom. Only our Creator has the inside track on wisdom. He is our source. And this can only happen if we will humble ourselves, give up our stiff-necked ways and bow before Him.