On My Mind: Be Kind
I recently saw a t-shirt that said, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” I chuckled and thought about buying those shirts for my children. It would make a good Christmas present, don’t you think?
If you ask my children if there was one lesson I drummed into them, they would probably answer “be kind.” I told them they could never embarrass me UNLESS they were unkind. All my relationship advice was summarized in four words: Be honest, be kind.
When it came to raising children, Neil and I had one goal: we wanted them to be good people. We didn’t care what careers they pursued, provided they could support themselves and had health insurance. We didn’t care where they lived, though we hoped that they would be close enough for us to visit… often. We didn’t even care if they went to church as adults, though I am secretly delighted that two of them do.
What we did expect is that they would be good people, kind people, the sort of people who express empathy and seek to make things better for others who are suffering. That is what the world needs… kindness.
In Galatians, the Apostle Paul includes kindness as evidence of faithfulness: “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” We think of kindness as a sweet and simple virtue, but the Greek word for “kindness” (chrēstotēs) really means goodness, uprightness, excellence. In the context of Galatians, one scholar notes it would be better translated as useful kindness or meeting the real needs of others. That is more than would fit on a t-shirt.
From the Christian perspective, being kind is not an easy or simple thing to do. Far from being a sweet and saccharine sentiment, the invitation to “be kind” is a high and holy calling. To be kind requires us to focus on others, not on ourselves. To be kind means we must consider how we can be useful to other people, even people with whom we disagree. To be kind demands that we listen to the better angels of our nature and act with integrity and character.
As we anxiously await the results of the upcoming election, I would encourage you to consider the wisdom of that t-shirt. In a world where we can be anything, Jesus calls us to be kind.
-Rev. Dr. Shawnthea Monroe