Don't judge a book by its cover

'The English idiom "don't judge a book by its cover" is a metaphorical phrase which means "you shouldn't prejudge the worth or value of something, by its outward appearance alone."' So says Wikipedia, and on this occasion I think that Wikipedia is accurate (which is not always the case!) I was sharply reminded of the phrase this week.

As a church minister I am approached, on occasions, with people (almost always men) who have a sad story to tell. The stories seem to be variations on a theme, usually to do with having fallen on hard times, and usually finishing up with the need for help of some kind or other. It is my policy not to give money to anyone, particularly as one never knows how that money will be spent. I find it notoriously difficult to know how much of the story I hear is true, and how best to respond.

This week I met a man who told me a long and rambling story. I had plans for the afternoon, but I felt it right to sit and listen. I won't go into the story in detail, suffice to say that he asked not for money, but for help to find a bed and breakfast place overnight. He seemed to have very little by way of his own possessions (he had apparently been mugged and his back-sack stolen)

To cut a long story short, my new friend and I spent much of the afternoon trying to fins him a bed for the night. We called at several places asking if they had a room for the night, but when they took a look at my friend the answer was "no". It was clear that he was being judged on his outward appearance (which wasn't too bad, though his long hair and woolly hat maybe didn't help! After several rejections, I began to understand something of how Mary and Joseph must have felt when they discovered "no room at the inn".

I got to thinking about how we too easily judge people by their outward appearance. I know that over the years I have met people to whom at first impression I was not at all attracted, but when I got to know them over the course of time I came to value them greatly. Read the gospels and it becomes abundantly clear that Jesus never judged a person by how they looked. He always saw into a person's heart, and valued them as a unique creation of God.

This week's experience has certainly reminded me of an important lesson - "don't judge a book by its cover"

And yes, we did eventually find him somewhere to stay!