Catholic Fundamentalists, like most Christians, believe that Jesus Christ will judge each of our souls at Judgment Day. What we rarely consider is whether or not each of us will stand before a jury “of our peers”. It’s somewhere between “maybe” and “possible” that when we stand before Him, there will be a jury box. We may imagine that the twelve people whom we affected the most during our days in the clay may be there. Or, quite possibly, every single person whose life we influenced for good or bad will be impaneled. Generations, including those born and unborn, whom we affected, might be imagined to be there. All whom we helped or hurt may be there, sitting in judgment of us. Each will have a vote they might be very anxious to cast.
Is it unreasonable to assume that each person we’ve affected in our earthly life will have a vote that will affect our own eternal resting place? It is certainly reasonable to assume that The Judge has the authority to overrule their decision, but it’s equally reasonable to assume that He may not be readily inclined to do so.
To play it safe, we may want to treat our neighbors, all of them, as if they will be the ones who will be passing judgment upon us. Maybe, that’s why He said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It is prudent to take it as a warning of what is to come, following it with a mental addition: ‘If you don’t love your neighbor as yourself, they’re going to have a chance to give you what’s coming to you.”
And, we may want to consider a completely different possibility. It may be that being asked to serve on such a soul-judging jury is really how we, ourselves, are going to be judged on our obedience to the command “Forgive”. Those who decide to “give that so-and-so what’s coming to him” may find that they have actually imposed a sentence upon themselves.
Just something to keep in mind.
