Kindness, A Lost Art
 |
| Mark Twain |
Are you a kind person? Mark
Twain wrote: “Kindness
is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” I’ve met many people who speak and behave in kind ways, but when you
get to know them better their kindness has, well, defined limits – they are kind
to a point, then not so much. I think kindness is more than just being nice; more
than being polite and sweet; more than an entire generation hearing & using the words “random
acts of kindness” then immediately thinking of Oprah. I wonder if being kind, without
boundaries or expectations, is a lost art in America. Maybe our society has changed
the definition of kindness. How would you describe it? The principal word used to express
kindness in the Old Testament is chesed or hesed. This word bears the connotation of a
loyal love, which manifests itself not in emotions but in actions. So if you say you are a kind
person do you think Oprah or Ruth? Check out The Book of Ruth, where characters in this brief story
from Naomi to Ruth to Boaz behave in a manner that demonstrates the concept of
hesed, Godly kindness that is not self-serving but full of divine rewards. Just a Sunday Thought…Pastor
Keith