Kindness?
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Earlier this morning I was meditating on a passage from Daily Strength for Daily Needs (1990, Gallery Books; reprinted 54 times since 1904) one of my long-time favorite books of daily contemplations, given to me years ago by a good friend, Nell. The little book has gotten pretty worn—wrinkled, tea-stained and underlined, and now the pages are held together with tape, old publisher’s glue and threads, and love. It is a rich collection of writings by a wide variety of Christ-followers down the centuries. I especially enjoy getting out of the popular contemporary idiom, and hearing timeless truths that inspire my faith to seek new depths, as the Holy Spirit always challenges me to express that dear and secret faith in thoughts, words and the many little actions of my days. Notice how He spins the delicate threads of our lives with those of many others? We can rest in knowing it is all for the high purpose of weaving His enduring mercy and love, into a colorful fabric that will not wear out. Everything else, sooner or later, is “dust in the wind”. Be careful what you worship—what you get excited about, care about most—it will, for better or worse, actually define the human limits of who you are.
The topic for today’s meditation is Kindness, and I felt inspired to share it, by posting a portion of it on my weblog. As I watch our culture continue to speed up and “liberate” itself in a variety of ways, ironically, along with many others I also can not help but observe an equal fragmentation and deterioration of basic divine values that both oil and sweeten human community, ranging from intimate family relationships to larger social institutions and collectives. Scripture highlights Kindness as one of the primary fruits of Christ’s Holy Spirit. (Galatians chapter 5). But the common grace of Kindness is one of those essential qualities sadly not so common these days. Have you seen and keenly felt the lack? What do you supposed happened to it? Really, what has happened to Kindness, along with its companion virtues?
It seems to me that for our irreverent post-modern “freedom” from the truths of the Christian faith, our nation and its many liberated individuals have paid a very high price, indeed. We’ve yet to see just how high the ticket is, individually and nationally.
Following is today’s excerpt from G.H. Wilkinson, from something he published in 1870. (I know nothing else about him). I hope his insightful words bring a modicum of honey, salt and light to your soul, making your day both sweeter, more seasoned and radiant with the love of Christ. It is for this we were created.
“Simply ask God to increase your powers of sympathy: to give you more quickness and depth of sympathy, in little things as well as great. Opportunities of doing a kindness are often lost from mere want of thought. Half a dozen lines of kindness may bring sunshine into the whole day of some sick person. Think of the pleasure you might give to someone who is much shut up, and who has fewer pleasures than you have, by sharing with her some little comfort or enjoyment that you have learnt to look upon as a necessary of life—the pleasant drive, the new book, flowers from the country, etc. Try to put yourself in another’s place. Simply ask ‘what should I like myself, if I were hard-worked, sick, or lonely? Cultivate the sweet habit of sympathy.”
“In humility, consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” –Philippians chapter 2, vs. 3-4
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July 10.13
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Your Choice…
The unwelcome fires burning in you
are secretly fed, with fuel
—your old dry broken sticks of thought,
innermost imaginings, cravings crackle
into words, actions
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Your highest, holy will decides:
choose not to feed the fuel of thorns,
the raging fires die down.
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So also, with the Godly fires:
feed them your favorite bouquets of dried flowers,
cherished folded letters, lost prayers,
forgotten words of praise, toss them all—
they burn warm colors of mercy flames,
the strong forgiving light of Love.
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–Quilla
July haiku
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Sunlight glistening
windy spider silk, spun between
ancient oak limbs
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Small boy giving food
to old homeless men, bright eyes
shining across. . .
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Sunlight before storm:
birch leaf shadows, shimmering
your face, your hands
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What you receive…..what you give?
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The Spirit (who is Holy!) guided my meditation this morning to a choice writing by George Spring Merriam, born in 1843. His reference passage is First Peter chapter 3: verses 8-11, included below.
I find his thoughts so refreshing, especially in our day, when much rancor exists in our nation between the supposed ‘right’ and left, so-called ‘conservative’ and liberal factions, etc., etc. So much for labels, which become meaningless and worse—quite destructive, as they build walls of division and hatred between men.
One of the most noxious smells arising from the fray is that particular stench being generated by the so-called ‘right’ side (where I myself was fervently camped for many years, so I am qualified to speak). Now I believe myself to have been certainly led by the Spirit to a position distinctly apart from both ‘sides’, a place where lives and breathes my LORD, the LORD of love—at once the most conservative and the most liberal man who ever lived. Holy scripture reveals him to be the leader of a radically other order—a Kingdom, not a democracy or a republic, and certainly not a theocracy. He is the one true eternal King. He has called me, even created me, to be his subject. He is my King.
Perhaps the main reason the odor (from the ‘right’) is so offensive is that it issues from a ‘party’ that frequently likes to identify itself as representing Christ himself. As an ardent Christ follower for several decades, I (among many others) am disgusted and ashamed at much of what I hear on that wavelength, both in personal encounters and on the national scene. It often carries the rank odor of a mean-spirited and arrogant self-righteousness. Nothing is farther from the spirit of Christ.
The ‘left’ represents several valuable issues that the ‘right’ has traditionally and predictably overlooked, denied, or made weak promises to attend. It’s not all about money, “free” markets (given the nature of man, what a reprehensible joke!) and entitlements—to those who have, of course. Mixing that agenda with Christ’s words and ways is like trying to blend water with oil. Notice how perennially it does not, can not work?
At the same time the ‘left’ is pushing matters that can not be supported by an overviewing of God’s will as clearly revealed in scripture. But unlike the ‘right’, the left for the most part does not seek validation from the Bible. They’re intuitive enough to see that too many scriptures would have to be overlooked. The ‘right’ could certainly learn from the lack of hypocrisy in that regard.
Over the past several years Christ has patiently but insistently shown me that He desires and deserves the worship I have given to the side called ‘right’. Worship is not too strong a word here, as it amounts to measurable (and considerable) quantities of time, energy, resources, verbage, emotions, the need to win, to be Right, to defeat the other ‘side’, etc. “Do not put your trust in the princes of men,(or their parties) for they will fail you”. And yes, they have failed (and will continue to fail) us, in more ways than we know, or readily see. Political parties (and their blindly polar agendas) make miserable gods. And like the gods they are, they demand so much!
So on to today’s meditation:
” A little thought will show you how much your own happiness depends on the way other people treat you. The looks and tones at your breakfast table, the conduct of your fellow workers or employers, the faithful or unreliable men you deal with, what people say to you on the street, the way your cook and houseman do their work, the letters you get, the friends or foes you meet—these things make up very much of the pleasure or the misery of your day.
“But turn the idea around: and remember that just so much are you adding to the pleasure or the misery of other people’s days. And this is the half of the matter which you can control. Whether any particular day shall bring to you more of happiness or of suffering is largely beyond your power to determine. But whether each day of your life shall give out happiness or suffering rests with yourself.” –adapted from George S. Merriam
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“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
‘For whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace, and pursue it.” –1 Peter chapter 3: vs.8-11.
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Small things, moments, gestures. . .
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“Do not forget to do good, and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
–—Hebrews 13: v.16
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“For this is the message that you heard from the beginning: that we should love one another.” — First John 3: v. 11
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“Be useful where you live, that they may both want and wish your pleasing presence still. Find out men’s wants and will, and meet them there. All worldly joys are less than the one joy of doing kindnesses.”
—George Herbert (1593-1632)
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“Let the weakest, let the humblest remember that in his daily course he can, if he will, shed around him almost a heaven. Kind words, sympathizing attentions, watchfulness against wounding others’ sensitivities—these cost very little, but they are priceless in their value. Are they not the staple of our daily happiness? From hour to hour, from moment to moment, we are supported, blessed by small kindnesses, freely given”.
—from the writings of F.W. Robertson (1816-1853)
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You will find rest
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“Learn from me. For I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
–Jesus (Matthew 11:29)
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“O God, I am coming to sit at your feet to be taught and examined by you. You are present here. You are drawing me here by your grace. I am listening to only you. I believe only in you.
“LORD I worship you. My heart loves only you. It longs for you alone. It is with joy that I bring myself low before you, O eternal Majesty. I come to receive everything from your hand, and to renounce myself without reservation.
“O God, send your Holy Spirit. Let your Spirit become mine, and let my own mind and spirit be forever brought to nothing! I give myself over to your Spirit of love and truth. Let him illumine me today and teach me to be gentle and lowly in heart!
“O Jesus, you are the One who is teaching me this lesson in gentleness and lowliness. Anyone else who might want to teach it to me would only repel me. Everywhere I would see only imperfection and pride. So you are the One who must teach me.
“Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
—from the writings of Fenelon, 1651-1715
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Ruach 333, by Quilla 