Do you ever judge a book by its cover? Have you ever judged another person by his or her cover? By their hair? By their clothes? By the way they talk? By the their jewelry, on their hand or on their face? By what they drive?
Every person you meet is a living book full of chapters and tales written by the greatest author who ever lived, God. Their story includes all the influences and experiences affecting their lives from birth. Only God knows the ins and outs of their lives. Only God has the right to judge them.
He knows what's inside their book. He knows their table of contents. He knows every word and every thought between those words.
"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" (1 Samuel 16:7)
Emile Zola, the French novelist and playwright once quipped, "We are like books. Most people see our cover, the minority read only the introduction. Many people believe the critics. Few will know our content."
When you first meet a person, or see someone who looks "different," and you're ready to judge them, ask yourself, "What's inside their book?"