A Call for Kindness
Be kind to one another…
Ephesians 4:32a
I came across a statement the other day that caught my eye. It read: Kindness is free – so sprinkle that stuff everywhere.
Catchy, eh? Doing a bit of research on the phrase, I couldn’t find an author.
But in looking around various websites such as Pinterest, I saw that it is quite popular. It can be printed on t-shirts, framed as a print, or used as a screen saver.
On one hand, I’m sympathetic to the message. It seems that the world has gotten meaner in recent years in the backwash of COVID and civil unrest. And the current election cycle is certainly fueling the fire of rancor. More kindness would indeed be welcome.
But as admirable as the thought was behind the message, the claim is sadly shortsighted. The fact is real kindness – the kind we long for and need – is not free.
Real kindness is costly because it displays a unique vulnerability. It calls us to power down when those around us are powering up.
Even "In Here"
We all know that we live in a mean world. That’s to be expected in light of the fact that Satan, “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), still has a heavy negative influence on it (I John 5:19). Though his days are numbered and though Jesus’ victory is assured and will soon be realized, we still live in the “not yet” (Hebrews 2:8).
That being the case, it shouldn’t surprise us that the world “out there” is frequently harsh and unkind. However, sadly, far too often that harshness and unkindness extends “in here,” into the words and actions of people who profess to be Christ’s.
I wish it wasn’t so, but I’m seeing this on the increase among Christians. In social media. In interpersonal engagements. In church business meetings. Even in pastoral gatherings. It seems that there cannot be disagreements without being disagreeable.
Tragically, the very people who are to make Jesus known by their love for each other (John 13:35) are quarrelsome, impatient, shrill, and downright nasty. And a lost world is watching.
Commit to Be Kind
Jesus’ followers have long celebrated kindness as one of the fruits (evidences) of the Spirit. Yet we live in a day where it’s rarely seen and seldom practiced.
Oh, we may tout “random acts of kindness” where it’s pleasant to surprise a stranger with a paid-for meal or a shoveled sidewalk. And I guess it’s nice to see that sort of kindness sprinkled.
But the biblical version of kindness is far deeper, more significant, and quite contextualized. It is no common courtesy or virtue in a vacuum, but an intentionally counter-cultural response in the midst of disagreement and even mistreatment.
Kindness is not random or free, but a costly intentional response of love and grace. It’s this sort of kindness that Jesus exhibited. And it’s this sort of kindness that should characterize His disciples.
The challenge to practice this all too rare virtue will only get more difficult in the months ahead as people voice their opinions and declare their position on any number of issues. And unkindness will be the norm.
Let me encourage you to be different, my friends. Make the commitment to make kindness your default.
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