Kindness Matters
The most disappointing aspect of our current cultural milieu is that we are bombarded daily with things done and said that don't reflect, in any way, the love that God commands us to live out.
The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church,
Michael Curry, has made it his mission to teach about The Way of Love. If you have heard him preach or heard him interviewed, it is clear that he lives this out.
The Way of Love, as exemplified by Jesus,
asks many things of us.
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It calls us to be peacemakers, those who seek resolution to verbal, physical, emotional and spiritual conflict, .
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It asks us to be patient (long-suffering people), recognizing that God's plans and ways are not our plans or our ways, and that we are a people that wait.
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It invites to show kindness, flavoring everything we do and say for the benefit of others.
And so, I want to talk a little more about this word kindness...
I can remember a time when I thought kindness meant being nice.
Like Canadians.
But it's not.
Being nice is about being on your best behavior.
It's what I used to tell my boys when they were younger.
Being kind is different.
In the New Testament, the word for kind is chrēstos.
It has the idea of being useful.
So when it is talked about in 1 Corinthians 13
(the Love Chapter) and says love is patient, love is kind...it is saying that love is useful.
It is a usefulness that comes from a deep moral underpinning.
Like, say, being a follower of Jesus.
Why does this matter?
Because it impacts the community we live in.
There have been many instances at a national level that illustrate the lack of this.
If you watch most of the talking heads on any of the major networks, you will see a major deficit of kindness.
It is seen in the derogatory words from the Left about our president and his very Evangelical vice president.
It is seen in the derogatory words from the Right about the presumptive Democratic candidate for president (and now his choice of a running mate).
It is in the muckraking of anyone, in any line of work, to bring out information that may paint them in a bad light and get them removed from their positions.
It is seen in words and images taken out of context to further political agendas.
None of it is useful.
It is not kind.
We have examples locally, too.
Recently, someone vandalized the Old Town Cafe in Grass Valley with hateful speech.
Sunday, a group of men physically assaulted a group of protestors in downtown Nevada City.
I have witnessed people rudely being the "Mask Police" to their neighbors in this community.
I have witnessed others mocking those who, for personal reasons, feel a mask is absolutely necessary.
Again, none of it useful.
It is not kind.
It doesn't change ANYTHING.
Other than making things worse.
What would it look like if we all practiced kindness
to those around us, both in the physical
and digital world (social media)?
Both the people people we like
and those that we don't?
To the people we agree with
and those with which we disagree?
Think about how that would change the social environment we live in.
The way politics is run.
The way the news is communicated.
The way we resolve conflicts.
The way we see another person.
We are "the called out ones" (ekklēsia).
But called out from what?
From behaving like the world.
From acting entitled.
From being selfish.
To be an example of The Way of Love to the world.
In order to change the world.
To make God's gracious love known to all.
Let me share a good example of kindness.
On Monday, we had a wedding here.
A marine getting ready to deploy and his long-time girlfriend had plans to marry, and COVID caused a delay. They needed a place for the wedding, a minister and a place for the reception. I was available to perform the ceremony (I know them), the building and lawn were free to use.
The example of kindness I want to share is of 5 volunteers from our ranks who set up for the reception by moving tables and chairs, and by placing flowers on tables in the 92+ degree heat (plus humidity). They were being kind in their actions as this was useful for the edification of this young couple (and I see this behavior in our midst often). So, thank you to Midge and Terry Gallagher, Todd and Karen Hoida and Sarah Woerner for your kindness.
So, let us all continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus by living the Way of Love through kindness.
Peace,
brad+
