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"Do Not Judge Anyone": Desert Wisdom for a Polarized World
160 pages, Paperback
Published April 4, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 30, 2025
I'm going to provide a summary of the book here, as what I took away as the key messages of this text. The ideas and practices presented are challenging; however, very beneficial if attained.
1. It is not our job to judge. It is God's job. When we judge, we are entering into God's territory, basically making ourselves gods. This is a sin and displeases God.
2. Another great point is that polarity, in the sense of divisiveness, is the work of the work, aim, and goal of the devil. We should not walk into his trap. He enlightened the parable of the prodigal son for me. The model of behavior that calls out for following is that of the father of the story. He forgives his son and demonstrates mercy and unconditional love. He also shows the same love to his older son and showers him with generosity.
3. We must examine our own behavior and in doing so, we recognize the so called sins of others. We often despise in others what we ourselves are guilty of. "Anyone who is on good terms with his poverty is rich." Seneca. With work, we can overcome the "tyranny of our own false self."
4. Contemplation can help us see the bigger picture. To accept things as they are.
5. If you can attain the ability to not judge, it will bring you great peace.
6. You are not your thoughts. We will always struggle with emotions. Anger, etc. But we can interrupt, meditate on it and identify its source. "Anger as an instinctive feeling needs to be rocked and cradled."
7. Who am I to judge? A saying of the desert fathers.
8. We all see things from different perspectives. We must always keep this in mind.
9. "Prayer is the seed of gentleness and the absences of anger", Sayings. My own thought is that the examen prayer can help greatly here.
10. Do not judge yourself. When we judge ourselves we are in the state of internal conflict and that spills over into the community. Again, my own thinking is that perhaps shadow work can help here.
11. How can we possibly know the whole story of this person that we casually judge?
12. The importance of compassion. "We must dare to love in a world that does not know how to love." Charles De Foucauld.
13. Judging others involves a narrowing, a reduction of our sense of possibility. Instead, adopt an expansion of heart. Dilatatio cordis.
14. We are all one body. When one suffers, we all suffer.
15. The book references the Brothers Karamazov. The willingness to be responsible to all for everything.
16. Humility.
17. Sin is suffering.
18. Adopt the attitude of not being able to not help those who are suffering. The book quotes the work of Simone Weil here.
19. "The best way to purge our hearts of less worthy, distracting desires is to live fully from the deepest desires of our hearts." Unwanted thoughts and movements arise but while there is a powerful impulse to identify with what we are thinking and feeling, we are not our thoughts.
20. "If we keep in remembrance the bad things said to us by people, we are supressing the power of the remembrance of God; but if we keep the bad things in remembrance as though said to us by demons, we will be unharmed." Abba Macarius, the Book of Elders.
Much of what is covered in this book requires a great deal of reflection and internalization. I believe it is a good source for lectio divina, the examen, shadow work, etc. With time and continued dedication, I think the teachings in this book can make a very positive impact on individuals and communities.
1. It is not our job to judge. It is God's job. When we judge, we are entering into God's territory, basically making ourselves gods. This is a sin and displeases God.
2. Another great point is that polarity, in the sense of divisiveness, is the work of the work, aim, and goal of the devil. We should not walk into his trap. He enlightened the parable of the prodigal son for me. The model of behavior that calls out for following is that of the father of the story. He forgives his son and demonstrates mercy and unconditional love. He also shows the same love to his older son and showers him with generosity.
3. We must examine our own behavior and in doing so, we recognize the so called sins of others. We often despise in others what we ourselves are guilty of. "Anyone who is on good terms with his poverty is rich." Seneca. With work, we can overcome the "tyranny of our own false self."
4. Contemplation can help us see the bigger picture. To accept things as they are.
5. If you can attain the ability to not judge, it will bring you great peace.
6. You are not your thoughts. We will always struggle with emotions. Anger, etc. But we can interrupt, meditate on it and identify its source. "Anger as an instinctive feeling needs to be rocked and cradled."
7. Who am I to judge? A saying of the desert fathers.
8. We all see things from different perspectives. We must always keep this in mind.
9. "Prayer is the seed of gentleness and the absences of anger", Sayings. My own thought is that the examen prayer can help greatly here.
10. Do not judge yourself. When we judge ourselves we are in the state of internal conflict and that spills over into the community. Again, my own thinking is that perhaps shadow work can help here.
11. How can we possibly know the whole story of this person that we casually judge?
12. The importance of compassion. "We must dare to love in a world that does not know how to love." Charles De Foucauld.
13. Judging others involves a narrowing, a reduction of our sense of possibility. Instead, adopt an expansion of heart. Dilatatio cordis.
14. We are all one body. When one suffers, we all suffer.
15. The book references the Brothers Karamazov. The willingness to be responsible to all for everything.
16. Humility.
17. Sin is suffering.
18. Adopt the attitude of not being able to not help those who are suffering. The book quotes the work of Simone Weil here.
19. "The best way to purge our hearts of less worthy, distracting desires is to live fully from the deepest desires of our hearts." Unwanted thoughts and movements arise but while there is a powerful impulse to identify with what we are thinking and feeling, we are not our thoughts.
20. "If we keep in remembrance the bad things said to us by people, we are supressing the power of the remembrance of God; but if we keep the bad things in remembrance as though said to us by demons, we will be unharmed." Abba Macarius, the Book of Elders.
Much of what is covered in this book requires a great deal of reflection and internalization. I believe it is a good source for lectio divina, the examen, shadow work, etc. With time and continued dedication, I think the teachings in this book can make a very positive impact on individuals and communities.
August 12, 2025
3.5⭐️
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews