蜜芽传媒

鈥淲ho am I to judge?鈥� That question, while apparently disarming, carries a powerful charge. I鈥檝e heard it asked by such leading lights as the late Pope Francis, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Behind their words was a resonant warning from Jesus, reported in the Book of Matthew: 鈥淒o not judge, or you too will be judged.鈥�

Yet, these days, as it seems to me, we are suffering an epidemic of premature judgement. Public figures and private individuals 鈥� leaping off the springboard of social media, often careless about fact-checking or possible AI fakery 鈥� become all too ready to label and condemn. Compassion, like context, gets lost in the mix.

Before sharing our views with the world, we should all take a moment to ask ourselves 鈥淲ho am I to judge?鈥� Not to shirk responsibility, but with a positive outcome in mind. If we simply voice a judgement and do nothing, we fail to move things purposefully forward.

Over decades of working with the street homeless I鈥檝e met many people whose lives have gone dangerously awry, seemingly because of decisions taken and unforeseen events. Rather than asking 鈥淲hat鈥檚 wrong with them?鈥�, my first questions are 鈥淲hat happened to them?鈥� and 鈥淗ow did they get here?鈥� I listen actively to the stories that homeless people tell of trauma and resilience. The empathy I come to feel serves a pragmatic end as we work together to find practical, humane answers.

On the other side of the equation, I鈥檝e handled offers of charitable funding from companies that sell alcohol and tobacco. Pragmatism again has a role to play. I assess their commitment to making amends for the harms they can cause, to redirecting resources and accelerating change. If I instantly and categorically refused to listen, I would close a door 鈥� not just to funding, but to other forms of collaboration. Instead, together we can succeed in extending the reach of corporate social responsibility.

In my efforts to combat modern slavery, I take care to use the word 鈥榮urvivor鈥� rather than 鈥榲ictim鈥�: to call someone a victim is somehow to judge them. Rather than making rapid judgements, each of us should use our judgement. It can take time, investigation 鈥� and empathy 鈥� to reach a more informed decision. So today, as you navigate headlines and conversations, remember to ask yourself 鈥淲ho am I to judge?鈥�. It will help you to understand and even forgive errors of judgement. And it might help you arrive at a judgement that is better 鈥� or even absolutely right.

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