Proclaiming #3 – Radical Kindness
We’ve all heard the stories.
A man is tortured and murdered while asking God to spare his attackers.
A woman forgives and befriends her husband’s savage killers.
A woman spends her life living way below her means and giving away everything she has to help the poor.
A man spends all his money on charity.
Someone is kind to someone they don’t need to be kind to.
We’ve all heard the stories. But you know what stories we never hear?
A man is kind to a good friend.
A woman prepares a decent lunch for her children.
A husband gives flowers to his loving wife.
You never hear those kind of stories. You know why? Because those stories are boring. There’s nothing special about them. You gave your wife some flowers? What, do you want a trophy for that or something? That’s just being generally kind. You’re supposed to be at least that kind. It’s the stories of Radical Kindness that stick out. The stories of kindness in the face of opposition and death that make us wonder what you’re hoping in and what you’re standing on. It’s Radical Kindness that proclaims something to the world.
No one will ever suspect that you place your hope anywhere special if your level of kindness is not remarkable. And I mean that literally. Remarkable – worthy of being remarked on. Are you so kind that other people walk away shaking their heads and saying ‘What is with that guy? I’ve never seen anyone act like that. There is either something seriously wrong with him or he knows something I don’t know.’?
Let’s be kind together. Let’s smile and wave at the guy who cuts us off on the highway. Let’s take five minutes out of out day and sit and talk with the dirty homeless guy as he begs for change. Let’s invite that annoying family out for dinner and pay for it. Let’s give a bunch of stuff to people who could use it and don’t deserve it. Let’s be nice, because if we’re not we’re all just a bunch of liars, aren’t we?
This is second-hand unless you’re reading it at http://www.theilliteratescribe.com
Matt W Cook 