No matter what you do, you are going to be criticized. Let’s face it, if they criticized Jesus they are going to criticize you. John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ We can’t rely on the opinion of others to tell us what is the right path. We need surer criteria. When we act in ways that promote compassion, unconditional love, forgiveness, generosity we are on the right path. As the example of John the Baptist and Jesus demonstrates, there isn’t one right way. How we respond to the presence of God in our life will be unique to each of us. But if we don’t get distracted by the carping voices and instead keep our eyes fixed on the kingdom, all will be well.
