The world doesn't need more friendly people.
The world needs more kind people.
Niceness, while certainly good, often wilts in the face of meanness.
Friendliness, though essential for societies to function, often recoils in the face of nastiness.
Kindness stands up against unkindness with a power that stops nastiness and meanness in its tracks.
Kindness always goes on the offensive, striking blow after blow against unkindness.
Kindness is no wimp, but a transforming power that brings goodness and light.
When the kindness of God our Savior appeared, God saved us...(Titus 3:4-5). God's kindness was proactive. It reached out with lavish, unconditional grace and grabbed us out of death into life.
Do you not know that it is God's kindness that leads you to repentance?...(Romans 2:4). God's radical kindness, seen in the death and resurrection of Jesus, breaks through our sin and lostness and leads us into God's grace.
God's kindness is always proactive, always on the offensive, driven by love, in order to push back the nastiness of life to set you free for real life.
Kindness dares to love your enemy.
Kindness dares to treat that nasty person as you yourself want to be treated.
Kindness goes on the offensive in the face of unkindness, not by simply smiling, nodding, and moving on, but by offering a radically kind alternative in its place.
Paul says it this way:
Your love must be real. Hate what is evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like brothers and sisters. Give each other more honor than you want for yourselves…Wish good for those who harm you; wish them well and do not curse them… Live in peace with each other. Do not be proud, but make friends with those who seem unimportant. Do not think how smart you are. If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. Do your best to live in peace with everyone… Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good. (Romans 12:9-21)
Imagine if every follower of Jesus practiced that form of dangerously good, real Christianity!
In the words of Dr. Who #12: Just be Kind!
