Seeing Without Judgment: Learning from Trees

by Lori Wilson

It happens so naturally, so automatically. We encounter another person and the labels begin forming: too thin, overdressed, needs a haircut, kind eyes, put-together, disheveled. This mental cataloging extends to everyone we meet—adults, children, even babies—as if our minds were trained to sort and evaluate humanity itself.

Recently, a directee shared something that stopped me in my tracks. He described his practice of sitting in nature to connect with God, simply observing trees and taking in their wonder and goodness. As he spoke, I found myself reflecting on my own times in the natural world—hiking retreats, quiet kayaking, contemplative walks through forests and along waterways.

I realized something profound: I have never once looked at a tree and thought, That oak is too tall, this maple needs better branches, that pine is growing in the wrong direction. Never. Instead, I receive each tree as it is, often hearing God’s voice through the unique shape of bark and the reach of limbs—teaching me about resilience, connection, the beauty of being exactly as I am.

So why do trees receive our wonder while people receive our judgment?

Perhaps it reveals something about how our culture has trained us to evaluate humanity—to sort, compare, and create stories about one another based on external appearances. We’ve learned to see people as puzzles to be solved rather than mysteries to be received.

This week, I’ve been practicing what my directee taught me through his tree-watching. I’m learning to catch those automatic judgments as they arise and gently release them. My heart’s desire is to accept people just as they are, without writing stories about them in my mind—to see them with the same wonder I naturally feel for an ancient oak or a delicate birch.

Jesus models this way of seeing perfectly. He encountered tax collectors and Pharisees, prostitutes and priests, children and adults—accepting each person completely, looking past external appearances to see the beloved child of God within.

What would change in our relationships, our communities, our world, if we could learn to see people the way we see trees? With wonder. With acceptance. With eyes that receive rather than evaluate.

Prayer

Loving God, 

Help me see with your eyes today. When judgment rises in my mind, gently redirect my gaze toward wonder. Teach me to receive each person I encounter as I would receive a magnificent tree—with appreciation for its unique beauty, its particular way of reaching toward light. 

May I learn from Jesus to see beyond the surface, to recognize the sacred in every human being I meet. Soften my evaluating heart into one that simply receives your children with love. 

Amen.

Reflection Questions

• When you spend time in nature, what do you notice about how you observe the natural world? How does this differ from how you observe people?

• Can you recall a time when someone saw past your external appearance to truly see you? How did that feel, and what did it teach you about the power of non-judgmental seeing?

• What would it look like in your daily life to approach people with the same wonder and acceptance you naturally feel toward trees, mountains, or flowers?