Kindness

President William McKinley had a difficult time choosing between two candidates for ambassador. Their qualifications were almost equal and he sought something that would set one of them apart. He recalled an incident years earlier on a streetcar at rush hour. A woman carrying a heavy basket boarded the car but could not find a seat. She was forced to stand as the vehicle swayed from side to side down the tracks. One of the men that McKinley was now considering was on the car that day, as was McKinley. Rather than helping the woman, the man shifted his newspaper to avoid seeing her. McKinley walked down the aisle, took her basket, and offered his seat to the woman. This act of unkindness was the difference. McKinley decided to appoint the other man as his ambassador.

“Kindness” is a gracious and gentle attitude toward others. It is a sweet disposition that seeks to be a blessing. It is caring, comforting, considerate, and courteous. It is the opposite of being cruel or harsh. William Barclay said that ancient writers defined this word as “the virtue of the man whose neighbor’s good is as dear to him as his own.”

Kindness is a highly commended quality in the New Testament. It is a characteristic of love (1 Corinthians 13:4), a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), and a part of the Christian’s wardrobe (Colossians 3:12). Obviously, Christians are to be kind people (Ephesians 4:32).

I will conclude with the words of John Wesley: “Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” Amen!