To Judge or Not To Judge

There is a popular Facebook meme that says, "Don't judge others because they sin differently than you do."  There is also a popular response to this meme, "We all judge.  Just judge righteously."  I see this argument so often that I feel I should address the deeper issue.  Acceptance. 

Acceptance is what we all want.  We all want to feel valued for who we are.  We all want to feel valued, despite mistakes we have made; despite our deepest, darkest sins.  We all want to feel as though we are needed and can be a part of God's community. 

Many of us grew up in homes in which acceptance was based upon performance.  If we performed well enough, things were great.  If we didn't, not so great.  Many of us come church backgrounds that are very similar.  If we could perform well enough, we were told God accepted us.  But heaven forbid we screw up.  We were guilted and feared into repentance, just praying that we were truly sorry enough to avoid God's punishment. 

I believe today's generation wants something more than that this performance and guilt and fear.  They want to know God on a deeper level.  They want to know people on a deeper level.  Isn't it time that we accept this fact and seek relationship over rules, mercy over judgment?