Sunday, June 28, 2020 ~ Pentecost 6

Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor

 © 2020, Dr. Tamilio

The word “kind” means both to be nice and it means type — as in category.  For example, an ornithologist might ask what kind of bird is that?  (Actually, an ornithologist would know what kind of bird it is, but you get the point.)  Maybe that is why I love that line from one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs “Uncle John’s Band.”  The line is: “Woah-oh, what I want to know, is are you kind?”  The lyrics are asking if you are a caring, compassion person and if you are a type of person: maybe one who loves kindness.  (Some people interpret this line to mean are you the kind of person who carries a kind of illegal substance, but I’m going to let that one go.)

Being kind is one of the fruits of the Spirit according to Paul.  In Galatians 5, he writes, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”  These are the characteristics that we are to develop as Christians.  They come from God and are instilled in us.  The question is whether or not we nurture and live by them.  Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits” (Mat. 17:16a).

Paul is saying that we need to be embody kindness, but I cannot help but think about that other definition of the word.  Is he also saying that we need to be a type of person?

I thought about all of this last week and it led me to this passage, which is not the Lectionary Epistle Reading for today.  I was led to this passage, because as I look around — this country and the world, not this church — I don’t see a whole of kindness these days.  I’m not talking about the political rancor that has become the norm.  I’m not referring to the racial unrest that has come to the fore with the death of George Floyd.  Granted, both of these issues have highlighted our callousness.  Rather, I am talking about how we, as a people, seem to have lost touch with one of the key fruits of the spirit: kindness.

Look at how people act online, or when they’re behind the wheel of their car.  They can be atrocious.  Look at the way people talk when they are conversing with a close friend and they do not think that anyone is listening.  They sometimes say the most heinous things about others.  People can be rude, disrespectful, selfish, and downright mean.

When Christ enters your life, there are certain responses.  It is as if a seed has been planted in your soul.  But this isn’t just any old seed.  This is the greatest of seeds — a seed that leads to everlasting life.  How can that not produce a change in one’s personality!  How can that not make a person more compassionate, joyful, loving…and kind!  Granted, there are Christians who are cranky as all get-out, but you get the point.

All of this comes from Christ.  Pamela Williams writes, “The Biblical stories of Jesus overflow with acts of kindness.  These acts almost read like a language in and of themselves and, if we look under the blanket of kindness, we find Jesus speaking love, joy, and healing.  It is where we find Jesus touching lives and making differences.  Consider how he has impacted the world with such a gentle force that we can still see the fruit of his kindness today.”[1]

We teach our children to be kind, don’t we?  We tell them to follow the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  Reflecting on this, Jess Wolstenholm writes, “Even though kindness isn’t all about our outward actions, it does come out in what we say and do.  If we are developing a spirit of kindness deep within our hearts, we will more easily choose to treat others the way we want to be treated.”[2]

I think I mentioned before how a form of the Golden Rule exists in practically every religion and every culture throughout history.  This suggests that this “rule” is universal.  The eighteenth century German philosopher Immanuel Kant used it to develop his moral theory the Categorical Imperative, which is still the focus of much moral philosophy today.

If this is so important to us — if it is so pertinent for us to raise our children to follow this ethic — then why don’t we (as adults) follow it ourselves?  “Do as I say, not as I do,” doesn’t cut it here.  (Actually, that hypocritical phrase doesn’t cut it at all.)  As Christians, we are called to be kind.

However, as I’ve said many times before, this does not mean that we are to go through life wearing rose-colored glasses.  There is a place for righteous anger, especially when we see injustices occurring around us.  By being kind, I mean something different.  In fact, this is one of the ways that we spread the Gospel: through our actions.  Remember that hymn, “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love”?  It is based on the words of the second century Christian writer and theologian Tertullian.  I had to double-check, because I thought it was a biblical citation.  Tertullian wrote, “But it is mainly the deeds of a love so noble that lead many to put a brand upon us.  See, they say, how they love one another.”[3]  Actions speak louder than words, do they not?  Look at how those Christians love one another.  This also suggests that loving one another was not the societal norm in Tertullian’s day.  Things haven’t changed that much, have they.

The idea is simply that if we exude kindness in our everyday actions, people, if they look deep enough, will know that we are not just being nice.  We are exhibiting one of the fruits of the spirit: kindness — and kindness is infectious.

Believe it or not, though, this takes more effort than you think.  We need to be present with one another in order for our kindness to take hold.  Nowadays, we are too busy looking at our phones.  We need to look one another in the eye.  Lauren Cook agrees.  She writes, “I look people in the eyes.  It’s amazing how we are no longer looking at one another anymore because we are always looking down at our phones.  I notice that so many people smile almost instantaneously when someone takes the time to see them and acknowledge their presence.  It makes more of a difference than we realize in today’s society.”[4]

Maybe it’s something that simple.  Sure, you can pay for someone’s coffee, put money in their parking meter, and hold the door open for them.  But it is better if you can look them in the eye, smile, and let the Spirit of the Living God flow from you.

I began this sermon with two definitions of the word kind.  Yes, the word means to be loving and compassion, but it also means the type of something.  Be the type of person who exudes the kindness of Christ to all people.  God knows that the world needs this now more than ever.  Amen.

[1] Pamela A. Williams, “The Kindness of Jesus,” from taken from the website whenpeoplearekind.org.  Some commas added.

[2] Jess Wolstenholm, “3 Bible Stories to Teach Your Kids about Kindness,” November 10, 2017, taken from Minno Life (online).

[3] Tertullian, The Apology (Pickering: Beloved Publishing, 2014), see page 64.

[4] Quoted in Heather Elitou, “Kindness is Infectious: 10 People Share How They Show Their Kindness Each Day,” November 13, 2019, taken from Medium.com.