the plank in my own eye

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your daily blessings and guidance, always. In Jesus' name. Amen.
This past Saturday evening at mass I saw a friend that I haven't seen in awhile. I did not approach him to say hello, and I don't know if he saw me.
I left the sanctuary wondering why I didn't feel comfortable greeting him.
I was transported to a memory of being at a weekend retreat with him, some years ago. I was having lunch with him and another guy during the retreat.

For some reason our conversation turned to abortion issues.
At the time I was pro-choice, so I didn't add much to the dialogue between these two gentlemen, but I remember remarking to myself, "I know if I say I'm pro-choice, a whole different kind of exchange will transpire, and I'm not in the mood to defend my views - besides, these people don't want to know why I think the way I do; they will only set out to change my mind and get frustrated when they realize they can't move me from my thinking."
I resent being with a group of people who judge me by my politics. And now I dislike this behavior in myself toward others.

My then pro-choice stance would overshadow the person I was - someone trying to find God, someone trying to know Jesus better - and only be seen by people as "a pro-choice liberal," someone whose mind has to be changed, all the while dismissing me as a person.
When I ponder why I didn't say hello to my fellow Catholic, here's what I find:
I felt like this guy only sees me as a "pro-choice liberal."
And me only seeing him as a "Pro-life militant."

It's at this point I consider Jesus.

Jesus made it a point to be with every kind of person, befriend everyone, and his favorites, it seemed, were the biggest sinners of His time: tax collectors, prostitutes, adulterers...I think the list today would also include: gays, pro-choice advocates, agnostics, atheists...among others.
I am always in awe of Jesus, and how He is Love.
Nowhere in the bible is it written that while Jesus was among these sinners He argued with them.
The bible says He taught through parables, not through argumentative points, not through defensiveness.
He is always Loving and Gentle.
He accepts people as they are, where they are, and just loves them. The whole person matters, not just one's political view, or their sin.
He loves everyone.
He leads by example.
Even if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, or political views, make sure to address them privately.
And this is the important part, once you've mentioned to someone how they need to "return to God," leave them to God.
Keep them in your prayers, but be done with chastising them again.
Carry on with loving them and befriending them;
you will want to be there when this happens:

Jesus changes people; Jesus works through me in conjunction with the Holy Spirit to change people.
Me, on my own, will only alienate people, because I think I'm "right," and they are "left," which is incorrect.
I admit: I am completely guilty of judging people by their politics.
I am guilty of not loving people for who they are and where they are on their path to the Lord.
I will do better and I will say hello to you after mass, even if you don't see me first, lol.
As I have begun to realize more and more, God has me on a growth plan.
I am a slow learner, but He is a patient teacher.

BTW, my pro-choice stance was changed by a good friend handing me a book about one woman's journey from being pro-choice to pro-life. This friend didn't argue with me, or try changing my mind by force. He gave me a book and let God do the rest. We can all learn from this example. 

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa