S2E18: Embrace Your Dark Side (Matthew 7:1-5) PYNWJ 8
“Le Creux” courtesy of fraugstein.com
Jesus teaches his followers to be less judgmental about the lives of outsiders and yet more discerning about abusive behaviors in their own midst. Judgment involves condemnation with contempt. Discernment involves radical honesty with deep compassion. Most importantly, in this passage, discernment starts with assessment of our own situation. Jesus isn’t inviting us to negative self-talk, but rather an unflinching confrontation and merciful embrace of what psychologist Carl Gustav Jung called our shadow selves. In a context of grace, we can experience even negative criticism as emancipating, and then help others to resolve unhealthy behaviors in their own lives.
On this show, we mention:
The book Seculosity by David Zahl.
The work of John Gottman.
Our previous extended discussion on discernment and judgment and why people don’t report abuse.
Our previous extended discussion of shame guilt and Carl Jung’s conversation about the shadow self.