The Power of Kindness

Ephesians 4:25-32    (NRSV)

So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

The theme of our Vacation Bible School, in case you haven’t figured it out yet was “To Mars and Beyond”.

Our children became Voyagers on a journey through space, exploring where God's power can take them.

Each day they began here in our Sanctuary which became their outpost on Mars and the they would blast off to distant planets on special missions to collect power sources.

The purpose of these power sources was to help a spaceship that was in trouble.

Along the way, they learned how God walked with heroes of the Bible,  

---- and that God is always with,

--- not just them,

--- but all of us every day

One of the daily themes this week was kindness.

The world is in desperate need of a little kindness.

Becky Bechtel shared with me a 30 Day Kindness Challenge, that she had come across --- the goal of the challenge is to help persons experience the transformative power of kindness.

In the challenge they stated:

“People have always had a remarkable capacity for both graciousness and harshness, but today it seems harshness is more easily let loose.”

We all know this is true

It often seems that when you watch the news it is just one negative story after another.

I have been forced to unfollow certain people on Facebook because everything that they post is negative and is designed to get people fired up.

          And the comments that get posted --- are just unbelievable.

We have stopped trying to point out the merits of what we believe and instead have taken to personally attack each other.

          We seem to personalize almost everything

                   For good and bad

And if that is not enough

          We all know people that complain about everything.

          They are like a black cloud wherever they go.

Our souls can be fed with so much negativity, grumbling, and frustration, that we simply become numb to it.

President George W. Bush said in 1988:

          “I want a kinder, gentler nation.”

Almost twenty years later, President Barack Obama declared,

“Qualities like kindness and compassion, honesty, hard work -- they often matter more than technical skills or know-how.”

What has happened to kindness in our world today?

And maybe more importantly --- How do we live kindness today?

I think our Biblical writers have offered us some great suggestions.

In Colossians 3:12  (New Revised Standard Version) the author writes:

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

Clothe yourself with kindness

Peterson says it even clearer in his translation known as the Message:

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. 

Paul says we need to put on kindness

          We need to choose to wear it everyday

Jesus teaches this rather clearly in the familiar story of the Good Samaritan.

If you are not familiar with that story I encourage you to pick up Luke's Gospel and read how Jesus tells us what love in action looks like.

In Ephesians 4:32 we are instructed by Paul to:

"be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you."

Earlier in Luke's Gospel, Jesus shares what many call the Sermon on the Plain and he lets us know what is really expected of his followers: (Luke 6:31-36 The Message)

“Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.

“I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

I know that it is difficult to be kind all the time --- but that is the challenge that Jesus gives to us.

He wants us to literally put on the clothes of kindness

--- every --- single --- day.

So maybe this idea of intentionally trying to be kind for 30 days isn't such a bad idea.

Shaunti Feldhahn reminds us:

Remember: Nothing changes if nothing changes.

Kindness not only has the power to change the other person --- It has the power to change you.

If there is anything I have learned about this wonderful community of people that we call Meridian Street is that you want to make a difference in the world.

You want to leave the world a better place than where you found it.

It is easy to forget just how powerful kindness can be --- Dr Marin Luther King reminds us of just how important it is.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Kindness is the key to changing the world

And who knows just what your simple act of kindness might do. . .

          the ripple effects can be amazing

Friday, Roger and I were interviewing candidates for our open youth position.

Between interviews I was given a card from some of the youth at VBS thanking me for “helping our church and the world.”

          You have no idea how precious that is to me

On a cold December evening, Kelly McGuire and her husband Sean were leaving a Bears game in Chicago when she spotted a homeless woman across the street. The woman held a sign reading "I am in need of winter boots and winter clothing items."

McGuire had a bag of warm clothing with her because she had worn layers for the game. She wrote: "I had everything in that bag that she needed. Shirts, sweatshirts, gloves, scarves, etc."

After giving her the bag of clothing, McGuire sat down next to the woman and started removing her boots, intending to walk to the train in her socks. That's when the woman stopped her and offered her the old, dirty boots she had been wearing. McGuire wrote, "She, who had nothing, offered me these boots. Her boots. I wore them all the way home."

McGuire concluded her: "If you have the urge to do something kind for someone, I encourage you to do it."

Aesop reminded us: No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.    

For many of us, it is not truly a New Year's celebration unless we join together with friends to sing that wonderful poem from Robert Burns

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and old lang syne?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

So let us take a cup of kindness --- and share it with the world.

          Do something kind today

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.    

For there is great power in that cup of kindness.