Be kind to each other. It seems really simplistic; naive, even. Jesus says our reward will be great if we “love [our] enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.” But, that doesn’t seem to be how the real world works. We get more of a reward for hating our enemies: showing contempt for those not like us. We receive praise from those who think like we do when we knock down those on the other side, pointing out how the other side is foolish to believe in their politician, how their ideologies are immoral, or ignorant, or just don’t make sense.
But active kindness is lifted up in scripture. There’s a word that shows up in the Old Testament 250 times: hesed. It’s translated a number of different ways, but perhaps the best overarching translation is “lovingkindness.” We don’t really use that word nowadays, but it means tenderness and consideration towards others. Our Psalm reading mentioned hesed three times, each time translated as “love” and “unfailing love.”
Hesed is important. In their article on it, Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries says hesed is “a completely undeserved kindness and generosity.” It is a faithful, reliable love. It is love put into action, as well as God’s love for you.
Kindness comes up in the New Testament as well. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul lists kindness as one of the fruits of the spirits. And the word he uses for kindness shares a common root with the word Jesus uses to describe God as “kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” Here, Jesus is providing us a new motivation, and one that we can’t ignore. “He points us… to the very nature of God – the one who is merciful and loving even to those who don’t deserve it.”
But Jesus says that we will be greatly rewarded if we do as he tells us. There’s been some interesting research on kindness. “Dr. Michelle Robin is a wellness coach and founder of [something called] the 31-day Kindness Campaign. …[See,] nearly all of the research on the power of kindness shows that the one practicing it is happier, has less stress, better relationships, is more successful in business, their marriages are happier, and they live longer.” So, as Rev. Dr. David Lose proposes: What if Jesus isn’t giving us one more rule to follow when he says “Do unto others as you would have them do to you”? What if this is a promise “That there is another option. That we can treat others the way we want to be treated. That there is enough, more than enough – love, attention, food, worth, honor, time – to go around. That no matter how hard you play by the rules of the world you’re still trapped in the death and loss that is part and parcel of this world, but that this world isn’t the only one, maybe not even the most real one.”
Kindness is something that most of us value, I think. “A poll released [2 years ago] found that 75% of Americans, both conservatives and liberals (and everyone in between) … agreed with [the] statement: ‘To restore peace and unity we need leaders to model kindness and understand’ … But waiting for our leaders to ‘model kindness and understanding with people they disagree’ may not happen if we, the people who elect them, are not willing to do this first.”
So “Do unto others” might include seeking to understand another’s position. Why are they taking a certain position? For example: the border has been a hot-button issue in the past, and might still be one for you or someone you love. We come at this issue of the border and illegal immigration with different moral frameworks. For some, it’s about fairness and cheating: people are cheating as they come into the country illegally, unlike those who come in legally and play by the rules. For others, it’s about care and harm: that those who are crossing the border illegally are doing so because they will die if they stay in their own country.
Part of this series is about how blue and red can come together. They make purple as well as swirl in beautiful designs to create a beauty where no one is lost. So let’s show how conversation can start at church. Join us for the cookout/picnic at about 11:30; what a great chance to sit with some new people and get to know them a little. Come on Wednesday for our Patriot Day-themed Gathering. Share your story, and listen to others. Come to the Free Community Meal and talk to those from the community who come and eat; listen to their stories. If we want leaders who model kindness and understanding with people they disagree with, then perhaps we need to model it first among ourselves and show that this is important to us. So let’s listen and share, do unto others, and show kindness to those we come across, no matter who they are.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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