Motes and Beams

Why is it that the pastor oft
becomes a judge of men?
Has he forgotten there is One
that sees his every sin?

He chides his son incessantly
when jobs are left undone,
Yet household chores are piling up,
No start on even one.

He scolds the lone parishioner
for missing church one day,
Yet often fails to take the time
himself to read and pray.

He preaches hard against the lies
and all deceitful acts,
yet he shares false statistics and
exaggerates the facts.

He tells us that we should be kind
and answer peaceably,
Yet yells to put a child to sleep,
ignores her earnest plea.

He wants to see the motes removed,
no thought on why they stay;
No wonder to discerning ones-
his beams are in the way!

~:~X~:~

Author notes

"A calling is not a license to judge others- it's a lesson in judging ourselves first, and admonishing others in the love of Christ." ~ Natalie V. Rankin

I have a confession to make...

This poem was written in response to a (seemingly critical) comment that was made to me by a pastor friend of mine. I felt the comment was a little judgmental because, instead of inquiring about what he commented about, he assumed. ( And we all know what happens when we assume... )

Immediately, some things came to mind... and thus the poem was written.

The confession I have to make is that this poem was probably not written in the best of spirits. However, I believe the message still holds true, not just for pastors, but for everyone.