One day when I was a student at Union University, I headed up the flight of stairs designated for men in one of the century-old crumbling classroom buildings where I listened to lectures for the first two years of my college learning, before Union moved into a new campus for my last two years. When I got to the top of the stairs, my path intersected the art teacher’s path. I knew who he was, but I hadn’t met him. He immediately began talking to me as if we had been old friends. He raised subjects I knew absolutely nothing about as if I were this person he obviously had me confused with. I waited until I could get a word in edgewise; but I did not get the chance to introduce myself before he realized his mistake. Then he said something which has redefined a word in my vocabulary. For almost 50 years now, I remember this conversation whenever I use this word he was about to use. It created for me this powerful image — this picture of what this word identifies. He said, “You are very kind.” I could have brushed him off. I could have ignored him and just kept walking. I could have told him that I had heard the art teacher was peculiar and now I knew it for myself. I could have been rude; but without even knowing it, I had been kind. I confess that it was really kindness by accident. I would not have been rude; but I had no idea what I was going to say when I got a chance to say anything. I didn’t say anything until after he blew me away with that wonderful and kind compliment.
The word is out that kindness is taking a beating these days. The rule of the day is, “If someone comes along and they do something you dislike, blow your horn loudly!” If they do something that inconveniences you, do something ugly. If they say something you disagree with, give them a piece of your mind! Well! I might as well write off everyone in the world for not being able to live up to my standards. No kidding. Everyone. That might leave me alone in the world, but of course I can’t live up to my standards either (Matthew 7:1-5).
James writes that if the law is broken at one tiny point then everything is lost, we are a law breaker, the whole kit and kaboodle is out the door (James 2:10). The law is broken and everyone is on the wrong side of the law, i.e. below standard. This is the scale on which we are judged and therefore we need God’s kindness.
In the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, God’s kindness is prevalent because God’s people are far from perfect (search for the word kindness especially in the Psalms). The New Testament makes this its primary focus. God’s kingdom is a kingdom of kindness. God’s kindness is seen in the gift of grace he offers through Jesus (search for the word grace).
If I then am so utterly dependent on kindness from God, perhaps then the order of the day just might be to offer kindness to others (see the book of Ruth). After all I am surrounded by people who will not live up to my standards or expectations. The world is a mighty lonely place without kindness. If I relate to people with an “all or nothing” scale, then I will end out all alone with nothing. But if I use a godlike kindness scale in the way I think and act toward strangers and even opponents then I will find that I can befriend some of the people who live in the world of in-between — between breaking every standard and breaking all standards. I will be loving my friends and my enemies.
“Love is kind” (1 Corinthians 13).
Stephen Williams