He walked the wicked roads to find wicked people in this wicked life to show how to live loving-kindness.

For (the wicked) did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.

Psalm 109:15 esv

Be kind, they say. It is good for families. Even when familiarity breeds contempt within the recesses of the soul. And the children hate while the parents whine, be kind.

Be kind, they say. It is good for friends. Even when the friends spread dirty laundry far and wide twisting hearts away. And they hate while the friend cries, be kind.

Be kind, they say. It is good for society. Even when strangers use one’s actions and words fashioning them into arrows pointed back at that one. And they hate while the one cries, be kind.

Be kind, they say. It is good for the planet. Even when storms rage and grounds shake and devastations come to destroy life. And people hate while everything cries, be kind.

After all this kindness that brings harm and hurt and hatred, I want to slam doors, throw heirlooms, scream obscenities, and fight the next person who crosses me. Kindness doesn’t exist and we all suffer.

Be kind, families post on their walls while gossiping and back biting. Be kind, society screams while breeding unkindness. Be kind, people demand while strangers hate. Be kind, the preacher pulses from the pulpit while parishioners judge others. Be kind.

But no one is kind.

The Webster’s 1828 dictionary says kind is:

• disposed to do good to others
• to make them happy be granting their requests
• supplying their wants
• assisting them in distress
• having tenderness
• goodness of nature
• benevolent
• benignant

No wonder no one is kind. Being good to others, making them happy, supplying their wants, assisting in their distress, being tender towards them, having good nature when they are awful, being benevolent to them, having a benignant attitude to them is a sacrifice not too many are willing to make. Especially when they give nothing in return. Why be kind when they might be unkind? Why risk getting hurt? This world is filled with hurt.

Why do people have to be mean? Perhaps all our pain prevents us from being kind. Perhaps all our striving in this life and with these relationships prevent us from being kind. Perhaps all our self-focus prevents us from being kind. Being kind is uniquely other focused, them focused, their needs/wants/desires focused. Not self-focused. This is anti-society, anti-American, anti-me.

He walked the mean roads to find mean people in this mean life to show how to live loving-kindness.

They huddled close to each other while throwing trash out of their make-shift home along the interstate. All the commuter sees is trash. Kindness means getting dirty and we pride ourselves on our cleanliness. Our homes are clean. Our cars are clean. Our bodies are clean. Cleanliness of the external means cleanliness of the internal. So, we judge the trash and expect the city to clean it up.

Be kind, the homeless cry while society throws trash away.

In the store, the frayed single mom wipes tears and admonishes children while the shoppers rush through the store hurried, harried to get to the next obligation. All the shoppers notice is the next thing, the next stop, the next activity. No one sees secret tears, calloused hurts, broken hearts. Kindness means opening eyes and hearts to carry burdens not our own. Our own burdens are heavy and we are weary from them. Our own tears fall yet we walk on. We can carry our own. So, we judge the weak and expect them to find their own strength.

Be kind, the single mom and her children cry while shoppers move on.

The students scream loud and long hurling insults and accusations. The organizers set up a discussion on how people from different viewpoints could agree on an issue. The students shouted down any discussion. They took lies, misunderstandings, and tweets making them banners of justice and righteousness to shut down discussions. Kindness means listening to views we don’t agree with, but this is hard. Kindness means speaking in love to those we don’t agree with, but this is hard. Kindness means giving space to understand someone different, but this is hard. So, we judge the other and drown out discussion.

Be kind, opposing views cry while protestors’ tempers flare and fight.

All this unkindness forces people farther apart. Hearts turn cold and relationships break. No longer does a good Samaritan stop to bandage up wounds bloody and oozing. No longer does an enemy give water to the dying dirty with battle. No longer does a father give good gifts to their unruly and disrespectful child. Unkindness makes people unbearably evil.

Unkindness justifies abuse, cruelty, and exploitation of others, of any one, of everyone. Except self.

To be kind to others above self takes an act of God. To bow one’s will to the heart of God takes a humble meekness not naturally known in mankind. Kindness sees the others as Imago Dei.

He walked the unkind roads to find unkind people in this unkind life to show how to live loving-kindness.

Hoping for solace only to find solitude, the hurting hide their tears from the faceless masses. Yet, he sought the hurting. He healed the lame, the blind, the deaf. He spoke to the ignored, the infirm, the ignorant.

Hoping for support only to be spurned, the dregs of society hide their faces from the tearless masses. Yet, he looked for the unseen. He touched the dirty of society and chided the elite of society. He gave space and time to listen to, to live mercy with, to love the others of society.

Hoping for saving only to find sinning, this world hides in the dark from other faces, other tears. Yet, he entered the hell where sin hides. He broke the power of death. He rose to give life abundantly even to the unkind.

All because of the kindness of his heart. All because of his loving-kindness.

Jesus lived this loving-kindness that marks his ministry, who are we to be unkind?

Jesus walked in this merciful-kindness that causes people to stop and listen, who are we to be unkind?

Jesus died in this justice-kindness that leads the vilest of sinners to life, who are we to be unkind?

Be kind.

Be kind, because children need to know what kindness is. And share it with others.

Be kind, because friends need to hear words of life. And give that life for others.

Be kind, because strangers need to help in carrying burdens. And we all share in the struggle.

Be kind, because the Earth groans under the unkindness of mankind. And needs healing.

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:31-32 nkjv

He walked the broken roads to find broken people in this broken life to show how to live loving-kindness.