Several years ago I participated in a medical mission trip to Mexico. This particular trip to Ciudad Victoria marked my first visit to Mexico. It was not uneventful by any means. The customs officials were highly offended that one of our doctors had packed some drug samples that were out of date. We ended up trading a couple of cases of Dr. Pepper in exchange for immediate immunity from our infraction. Dr. Pepper is a rare commodity down there. In my broken Spanish, I mistakenly asked two teenage girls from the church in Ciudad Victoria if they wanted to accompany me back to the hotel where we were staying. My close friend and colleague, Albert Garcia, could not stop laughing long enough to inform me of the content of my mistake. Later in the week, another campaigner on the trip, and me decided to walk back to the location where the clinic was being held. To make a long story short, we got lost. After walking for quite some time, and a wild taxi ride, we were finally reunited with our friends. I felt like a 6 year old who had gotten separated from his mother. It was still a memorable trip, and set in motion a decade of medical mission trips to various Mexican cities.

One of the most interesting aspects of the trip took place the week after we returned home. One of the ladies at church told me that she had a great time on the trip. She also told me how much she enjoyed working with me at the clinics.
And then she said…”John, I always thought you were stuffy. I found out on this trip that you can really be a lot of fun.” Stuffy? Stuffy? I have been called everything imaginable. But stuffy? Those who know me well will get a good laugh. I am anything but stuffy. It took a trip across the border for her to figure that out.

I have thought about that comment many times since 1998. I learned a few things from her observation. I have learned not to judge people or make assumptions. Many times we only see an individual in one context. I see my doctor exclusively in her office on a professional basis. It would be unwise for me to make assumptions about her personality, or her character based on that limited interaction.

I have learned in particular not to judge people’s hearts. I don’t know what another person is thinking or what is causing them to act in a certain manner. I can’t judge their sincerity or the lack of it. My training as a law enforcement chaplain prompts me to be suspicious, but that cannot supersede the need to be fair and just. A friend of my mind told me years ago that the worst kind of judging happens when we judge the motives of a person’s heart. I could not agree more.

I have also learned that it takes a long time to really get to know another person. You have to live through the ups and downs of life with that person. It is a matter of rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourning with those who mourn. True friendship takes a long time to develop. In the process, you find out that perhaps that person is not as stuffy as you once thought.

I am getting ready to preach to about 700 people on Sunday. I wonder if any of them think that I am stuffy. If they take the time to get to know me, I am sure the truth will come to the surface! Or maybe we need to plan a trip across the border? Stock up on Dr. Pepper and let’s go!