The Benefit of the Doubt

Trying to live daily as a Christian in our fast-paced, tense and busy world can be a challenge. What principles can we try to live out?

I was working late. Trying to catch the train which ends its run at 10pm, I hurried to wait for a jeep. The jeep passed by while I was too far to call out. After waiting a while, I decided to find a bus to ride to be able to catch the MRT. I told the bus conductor when I got in that I'll just be going to the MRT station, quite near actually. When I asked how much it would cost, the guy gruffly grunted but didn't answer me. I wondered why he didn't seem interested to get my payment when these conductors are quick to ask for payment when you get into the bus. When we were near the MRT, the conductor left me (he was staying near my area) and went to the back of the bus. When I stood up to go down, I looked for him so I could pay my fare. The guy was looking at me all the time and just nodded and waived away my fare.

It is good not to think ill or to judge someone. We don't really know what's on a person's mind before a thing happens. It's better to always give the benefit of the doubt. Kindness may not be too far away from someone who seems gruff or abrupt, depending perhaps on our initial response. In that sense, we create our own world.