What Right to Judge - copyright August 7, 2010

Brown bag lunches, leather boots
western ties and blazers
Preston Charles, a twenty four year old
cattle rancher resides
in Torrance Bridge Montana
Since childhood, Preston has been groomed
to work his own ranch
Coming from a family whose priorities
center around keeping company with the right people
~
On an early August morning
while in the stables, grooming his favorite horse
Preston receives a visit
from an old school friend,
the daughter of the local textile manufacturer
Presenting herself in jeans and plaid shirt
she is not the kind of company Preston is exptected to keep
~
During a round of golf
at the Torrance Bridge Social Club
Preston mentions the visit
As conversation erupts concerning
his friend's background, eyebrows are raised
criticizing the young woman's social status
~
Remembering the words of Matthew 7:1
'Judge not, that ye be not judged'
Preston is initially puzzled by the reaction,
and wonders why they were willing
to look past his rought exterior
and see there is more to him than meets the eye
Realizing his friend is being judged
by a different set of values
opens his eyes to the kind of club
whose standards are less than honorable
~
Tired of the biases the club has adopted
Preston's voiced disapproval
receives defended justification in spite
of his fervent request that its members
look inside themseves
and re-evaluate membership standards
Like Preston, are you also willing
to look inside yourself
and take a stand against open prejudices?