Monday Musings of Pastor Ron - September 28, 2026

Friends,

I am scheduled for Jury Duty tomorrow. I find it to be a daunting experience to sit on a jury judging people to determine whether they are innocent or guilty. I also find it interesting how my calling as a Pastor is perceived by the attorneys that are litigating a case. I have sat through many a voir dire and listened to the questions directed toward me from both the prosecutor and the defense attorney. Prosecutors don't necessarily like pastors because they consider us to be overly merciful and forgiving and less likely to convict. Defense attorneys like pastors for those same reasons. I am sure that they have come to those representations through years of questioning potential jurors and witnessing how pastors have voted during the deliberation process.

Yet I feel they are misinformed to an extent. Not only about pastors but Christians as a whole. We are merciful and forgiving. That is how Jesus taught us to live. However, he also taught us to adhere to the laws of the land. Our call to love, mercy and grace does not eliminate our responsibility as citizens of Houston, Texas or the United States. That responsibility includes following the written ordinances of land. Can we uphold our responsibility as citizens and be faithful to the ordinances of God? Of course we can. But how do we sit in a courtroom and judge when Jesus warns us: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged… (Matthew 7:1)

We do that by judging the crime not the individual. We can forgive a person without forgiving their actions. We can judge their actions against the rule of law without judging them as an individual. That is not easy to do but that is how we can live with our responsibilities as citizens while following the ordinances of God.

Jesus' warning carries an admonition. How can you judge someone else when you are not perfect? How many times in the gospels do we hear Jesus make that point? “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” (John 7:24)

Jury duty is a microcosm of life. We are placed in a position of judging every day. It is much easier to judge people out in the world than it is in a courtroom. But it shouldn't be. We should avoid judging until we can look at ourselves and say, "I have no sin". That pretty well says it, doesn't it? We shouldn't judge a person. It should be daunting. When we feel that we are judging it is time to remember there is only one Judge.

God bless you. See you Sunday