I’ve gotten judged my whole life – sometimes the judgments were hateful. We all get judged and we all judge. Because the judgments laid down on me over the years I try to accept people for who they are not what they look like, what spiritual practice they may have or how they make their money. Years ago, dirt poor, I locked my keys in the trunk of my car. I called a friend to ask the name of a good locksmith. She handed the phone to a friend there for coffee. The woman that took the phone talked me through breaking into my car without damaging it to retrieve my keys. I asked, “How do you know about breaking into cars.” She said verbatim, “Honey, before I got clean and sober I used to break into cars for a living.” To myself, I said with my hands up, “YAAAASSSS! GOD! Bring me a thief when I need one.”

The Good

“None of us is perfect! You have to judge a man by the GOOD in him!” - Superboy*

Clark Kent didn’t just appear as Superman! He was raised by Martha and Jonathan Kent in Smallville Kansas. While Clark was growing up he was having adventures as Superboy. He met three teenage heroes from the 30th Century – Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad and Cosmic Boy. These heroes invited Superboy to join the Legion of Superheroes. Clark traveled to the future often for grand adventures with the Legion.

How many times have we heard, “Don’t judge a book by the cover”? It may be cliché but it is true. We see people walking down the street and if they are strangers we do not know what is happening in their lives in that moment. They may be frowning and refuse to say “hello.” They may be jovial and almost walking on air. One thing to keep in mind is that all people are inertly good; we all try to make the right decisions to have good and comfortable lives. Unfortunately some of us make wrong decisions that lead down dark paths. It is best to keep a thought of goodness and remember that all people deep down are good. In this cliché “don’t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes”.

Superboy
First Appearance: More Fun Comics, #101 (January/February 1945)

First Appearance with the Legion: Adventure Comics #247, April 1958

Creators: Jerry Siegal, Joe Shuster and Don Cameron

* Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes, #222 (Dec. 1976)