Can you do me a favor? Look in the mirror. Go ahead. I'll wait.

I realize half of you won't actually do it, but for those of you who did, what did you see?

Did you see "gay" or "straight"? Did you see "Republican" or "Democrat" etched across your forehead? Was there a flashing sign that read, "cop" or "Muslim" or "teacher" or "Christian" or "felon" or "Atheist"?

No. It's not that easy. It's not that simple.You know what there was? A person. Two eyes, a nose, a mouth. A head full of hair and wonders and dreams. A heart full of love, hurts, and a cross all it's own.

A person with a past only they can claim and a future only they have the power to shape for themselves, and chances are they will. This person you saw, they might have mouths to feed, a spouse to love, and a place to rest their head at night. A farm to care for, an apartment to pay for, a girlfriend/boyfriend to think about. This person you saw might be in college, or they might be working. They could be a CEO or a mechanic. A retired serviceman/woman or an 18-year-old with aspirations to be there someday.

I don't know what you saw but the point is, it was a person. And to the reflection in the mirror, they mattered, right? They would never say that their life isn't important or the man standing next to them on the subway has more of a right to live than they do. Am I wrong? They would never say that a member of their family was worth less or could feel less love than a member of mine.

And that person in the reflection you saw, chances are they're going through struggles. Some seen, some buried in the farthest corner of their hearts. Some the world can plainly recognize, and others they battle each night in the darkness.

And that's OK.

But the point is, everyone is seeing the same reflection. They might see a different image, a different race or ethnicity, and I know they'll see a different history and different struggles that got them to that mirror they're peering into. But it's the same reflection. It's a person. And that person is completely their own.

I've realized over the past few days...weeks..months..years...I've been too quick to judge. I look at a person and I make an assessment based on looks alone, or based on the first meeting. It's easy to do, and I know we all fall into that trap. But the point is, we will probably never know why the person who is checking you out at Wal-Mart won't make eye contact, or the mother with 3 kids under 5 doesn't have make-up on (ok, maybe that's an easy one) or the kid sitting next to you in class raises his hand EVERY TIME the teacher asks a question. They've had a full life up until the point you suddenly stepped in and decided to make a judgement call, and that's not fair.

I think today, especially in America, we are too harsh with one another. We're quick to judge and slow to forgive. We categorize. We assume. We clump people into groups they have no right being in. We want vengeance for some grievance against us only God can heal, and we're looking for it in the wrong places. We're heading down a destructive path without realize how badly we're hurting our fellow man, woman, and child.

I don't think we can completely change the direction we're going, but maybe we can alter it a bit. Try this; the next time you come into contact with someone you might not agree with, might not get along with, don't categorize them like it's so easy to do. Don't put them in a box they'll likely never escape. Instead, realize they, too, are a person. They see the same reflection you do; they might not have the same story, but it's the same reflection. And they're handling it as best they can. Don't make that any harder. Just show them love in your own way, and hopefully you'll get to see a bit of what's beyond the reflection in the mirror.

...or big, or man or woman, or race or ethnicity, or vocation.

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10