Be Ye Kind, one to another!

Kindness seems to be a thing of mostly the past, these days!  It's a time in our history when you are not surprised at any random act of violence against a nameless part of society. 

 

 On August 5, 2012 a man burst into a Sikh temple in Wisconsin in a "domestic-terror incident" and opened fire on the worshippers that left six people and the gunman dead.  The congregation's president was among those wounded.  Some tried to excuse the attack on the temple by saying that the gunman may have mistaken the Sikh congregation for  Hindus or Muslims--as if that would give the shooter a "pass".  To most of us, there is no "pass" for this kind of conduct on anyone!

But to those of us who claim to be non-violent, religious or even peace-loving, this kind of unprovoked violence seeks an old kind of theological answer, "Be ye kind, one to another!"  It's a simple verse with huge unfathomable results!   Am I my brother's keeper?   Yes, you are.  Every day and in every way!  David Barry echoed this in his book, "Things that it Took me 50 Years to Learn:",
"A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person."

Christians should serve up kindness in their everyday path.  They should try listening for a change instead of talking.  They should avoid ignoring people who seem different.  They should try an overload of courtesy.  They should concentrate on random acts of kindness.  Kindness is a gift that one can give to others.  It grows and comes back where nobody knows!

Years ago my sister, Rose Marie, and I were in the car with our Mother and we played a game with her.  Our question to her was, "What one word would you use to describe each one of us?"  My Mother took Rose Marie first and answered, "Driven to succeed"  (that was really three words which I pointed out to her.)  Then she answered simply (l word) about me:  "Kind".   What a letdown!  It was almost insulting.  Rose Marie was slated, in my Mother's mind,  to become  a great composer and I was some kind of little, kind,  innocent who never succeeded in anything.   Rose Marie never let me forget the prophecy!  

But the irony of that one word all  but eluded me over the years.  Kindness is a virtue to be sought every day.  I wish I deserved that prophecy!  I would settle for that one-word description any day of the week.