WHY DO WE NEED TO BE REMINDED?

A friend of mine, Ray from out west, regularly sends out an email with a verse from the Bible. But he always ends the message with “kindness wins.” A bumper sticker I saw recently read “Be Kind”. Why does Ray and the bumper-sticker person need to remind us to be kind, and that in the end, kindness wins out in any type of human interaction? Why indeed!

But it does seem to me that we do need to be reminded when being unkind – and that is often putting it mildly – is the tone of the day. Unkind words are just as hurtful as unkind actions and sometimes are even more painful. Physical wounds heal. Verbal words stay with us, sometimes forever, such is the damage done. What is worse is that, as with inflicting physical pain, inflicting verbal pain is done with full intentionality. We want to hurt another with what we say.

Sadly, sometimes the worst verbal abuse comes from the mouths of those of us standing in the pulpit. We stand there acting as if we are servants of Jesus spouting words that Jesus would never, ever utter. Even more humiliating to the Gospel message is that those in the pews listening to verbal abuse of others seem to agree with what is being said, sometimes applauding!

Disagreements about any and every issue arise because each of us brings our own experiences and opinions to whatever topic is at issue. No two people see exactly alike. But to disagree where we are unkind and rude and cruel is not only wrong; it is unchristian and has no place in society and certainly no place in our individual lives; none, zero, nil.

The sad part is that most of us do nothing when confronted with such behavior. We are often tempted to shout back in just as an unkind way as the one confronting us with unkind words. Thankfully we do not. But how are we supposed to react? How do we respond to the vast sea of unkindness that seems to be drowning out all the words of kindness and caring – and deeds as well – around us?

We did not get this way as a nation suddenly overnight. But that is where we now find ourselves. Civility seems to have disappeared and uncivility has taken its place – and seemingly being condoned as an accepted behavior at least by those in authority who have failed to kindly speak out against such.

Perhaps I am overstating he situation. The truth is that everyone I know is kind in words and actions. The squeaky wheel gets all the attention and keeps getting it until someone oils it. The oil that is obviously needed today in our nation and, in fact, our world, is the oil of kindness, the balm of Gilead, as the Bible tells us.

We need healing as a nation. The unkind words have opened deep wounds that will take a while to heal and that starts by being kind to one another. In the end kindness wins.