Be Kind
by James McClenny
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind!”
Finding the original use of that exact phrase is an exercise in futility, but absorbing and applying it in our daily lives is an exercise in maturity. Too often, especially in our brave new world of internet anonymity, cruelty and harshness are allowed to run free. Mature adults learn to rein in those impulses, and, having seen that saying on the halls of elementary schools recently, it’s obvious teachers seek to instill the self-control of kindness in the hearts and minds of young children.
After a particularly nasty email from a reader, one author quoted that saying and advised: “1. Allow yourself to feel the pain. 2 – Refuse to seek revenge. 3 – Be kind.” She added that it is essential to turn that kindness toward the hurting, and even said; “Be kind also to the people who annoy you,” even “the telemarketer who calls over the supper hour.”
Even if we can’t find the origin of the saying, we can find the idea began with God going all the way back to creation and His dealing with Adam and Eve, and then with Cain, before being written into The Law of Moses (Exodus 20-23; Leviticus 19:18). One of the best examples of someone living it is David, who often experienced cruelty and hatred from those who mistreated him without cause (Psalm 35:7).After describing cruel witnesses who made false accusations and returned evil for good, he said:“But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer kept returning to my bosom. I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns for a mother.” Psalm 35:13-14
Yes, be kind!