A lesson in compassion

Seems like somewhere, a long time ago maybe, someone wrote something about not judging people.

The danger in doing so was illustrated dramatically - and lovingly - in a Mormon church the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

A mumbling, smelly, unkempt stranger showed up for services in the Salt Lake City suburb of Taylorsville, and he was disappointed in the reaction he got from members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Turns out, the stranger was no stranger at all. He was Bishop David Musselman, a spiritual leader of the congregation who had gone all out to alter his appearance so a lesson might be taught.

It certainly was, and thanks to Bishop Musselman, many people outside that congregation can benefit from it as well.

After he revealed his true identity to the congregation amidst startled gasps, Bishop Musselman said he had come disguised as an old homeless man to teach compassion.

"The main thing I was trying to get across was we don't need to be so quick to judge," he said.

What he'd encountered was unsettling. Bishop Musselman said that at least five people had asked him to leave the church. Many wouldn't speak to him, even after he wished them happy Thanksgiving; others refused to make eye contact or even acknowledge his presence. The lone general exception, he said, was the congregation's children.

"I could see in their eyes they wanted to do more," he said.

Like Bishop Musselman, our goal in sharing this editorial is not to embarrass or - key word here - judge this group of people. How many of us would pass his test? Our guess is very, very few.

Outside church walls, a great deal more judging takes place. Who among us hasn't witnessed a specific unpleasant characteristic and quickly arrived at very general conclusions? How many of us are courageous enough to admit when we've been wrong, and strive to learn from that painful lesson?

During this most reflective season of them all, where generosity of spirit is glorified, we thank Bishop Musselman for the compassionate reminder that no matter how far we may have come, we've still got a long, long way to go.