They have seen, as Karl Barth notes, that “the root and origin of sin is the arrogance in which man wants to be his own and his neighbor’s judge.” Before we go through the Wall, we prefer to exercise the right to determine good and evil rather than leave this knowledge to God. Afterward, we know better. — Emotionally Healthy Spirituality 

This struck me deeply today: the root and origin of sin lie in our judgmental minds, a state that began when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. I had never considered that being judgmental is at the heart of our sins. When I read that line, it felt like a bolt of enlightening energy coursing through me, awakening my soul.

As I reflect on my judgmental tendencies, I realize how often I engage in them without recognizing their impact on my soul. Whether it’s something small, like forming an opinion on someone’s dress style, or something larger, like thinking poorly of my mother-in-law, I judge so naturally and frequently that I didn’t see it as a problem until I read that line today.

My heart is in crisis mode: If this is the root of my sins, I need to do something about it quickly.