What happened when Kawhi Leonard entered the AT& T Center last Thursday night as a Toronto Raptor? There were a variety of speculations- boos, silence, or cheers? Even the national media chimed in with their opinions. A common question that everyone had leading up to the game: Is it OK for Spurs fans to boo Kawhi Leonard?
Despite Coach Pop hoping that the fans would treat Kawhi with kindness and respect, there were different sentiments felt in the crowd that night. Kawhi was booed from the moment he came out of the gate, even in practice. This practice of booing continued every time he touched the ball.
In my review of Spurs’ Twitter-Verse the next day, everyone still had an opinion. There were legitimate reasons given that Kawhi be booed. There were legitimate reasons given that Kawhi not be booed. Who’s right?
Perhaps, maybe there's another question. How do we judge what’s right and wrong? Our culture often thinks that anger is the only and best way to change things. When someone says or does or believes something different than what we feel is “right”, what do we do? Get angry? Have a strong opinion? Snub them? Boo them? Often that opinion affects how we treat a person going forward. Often, that person is stuck forever in the doghouse of our mind. We have placed ourselves as the judge.
I didn’t boo Kawhi during the game. Did I like what he did or how he acted? No, but I don’t know the whole story. I know a very small part of the story. So often, we take it upon ourselves to judge people, not knowing who they are, why they did what they did, or what they truly believe. Our assumptions become our reality.
By judging others, we make ourselves easy to judge. When we stop judging others, our hearts are softened. We open our heart to people and have the actual ability to love them. You can usually tell when you’re being judged by someone…there’s no room for love.
It’s not fun to be judged. I’m sure Kawhi didn’t enjoy it. You don’t either. No one does. If we’re to have true YMCA John 17:21 unity, it’s time to lay aside our judgments of others. We may always have different beliefs, but that doesn’t hinder us from having the same love.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5
"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one is spirit and of one mind.” Philippians 2:1-2To
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
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