Jesus was always concerned with the state of a person’s heart. “Where is your heart?” he would ask.
Sometimes we form judgements of people, but we don’t really know where their heart is. That is a mistake.
I was thinking about this after lunch with a friend this week. We just sort of happened upon a conversation about the church Fathers. I mentioned Athanasius and his role at the founding of the Church as the official religion of the Roman Empire under Constantine. I had recently read a history of the time and was influenced about his role in the development of the primacy of doctrine over experience.
But my friend, who has studied far more than I, looked puzzled and said, “But St. Athanasius was most concerned about what was in your heart.”
Looks like I have some studying to do. Went against my longstanding belief of learning–study original sources and the original writers before reading about them. When I was in the university, it always seemed like we read about people instead of reading their actual words.
Then I thought we often form judgements about people today based on hearing about them, or seeing how they look. We are influenced by others instead of forming our own judgement based on listening to the other in their own words and determining the state of their heart.
While you are at it, watch over the state of your own heart. Spiritual practices are worthless if your heart is somewhere else. Make sure your own heart is right with God, then you are in better shape to look at others.
Faith Venture 
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