Don't Judge

The youngest two Progeny and I are singing the Hymn 'For the Beauty of the Earth' for our hymn this month. We sing it to the lovely (and fairly easy) tune Dix, written by Conrad Kocher.

This evening when we were ready to do sing our hymn, the hymnals we use were upstairs, and we were not. The FYG suggested I just look up the lyrics and we would sing them from the laptop.

So I went to cyberhymnal and we came to this page.

It's been a long day after a long, sleepless, and busy weekend, and we were feeling punchy. The Progeny, I am ashamed to say, giggled.

I am ashamed to say that I had a hard time not joining in. I swallowed my silliness however, and took the opportunity to sanctimoniously moralize.

I said something like, "Why, see here is an example of why we ought not to judge by appearances. Look at what beauty this man has created, and we would not have known by looking at him that such beauty was within him. God knows, and that is the beauty He sees, but we see only-"

At which point, the Progeny's poorly stifled giggles burst out again.

"That's just what I mean," I sniffed. "You are laughing at this poor man for how he looks, but you couldn't do what he did."

"Oy!" objected the Boy in mock indignant tones,. "Now who's judging, hmmmmmm? I guess you can't see what's in us, either!"

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.

Refrain

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our sacrifice of praise.