One of the nine fruits of the spirit is kindness.  I teach preschool and something I always ask my three- and four-year-old students is “was that a kind thing to do?” At that young age, they answer honestly. If they threw a toy at a classmate, they will confess, “no, that wasn’t kind.”  Sometimes they will even make it a point to tell me, “I helped clean up the crayons. I was very kind.”  As we become adults, some of those simple acts of kindness aren’t as easy for us to do.

Most cultures see kindness differently.  Some societies tend to view kindness as something extra that one person does for the other that isn’t expected.  In more community-focused societies, kindness is expected from everyone and is often done as a group effort.  Our congregations are the latter type – if one of our members experiences a loss and is overcome by grief we, collectively, make meals for them, do housework for them, go to their home and visit with them.  Members of our congregation and Church, regardless of wealth, age, ethnicity, and marital status, are part of our Christian family, bound together by our holy baptism into Christ.

When you are clothed with kindness you will be seeking the other’s good as you deal with each other’s weaknesses and sore spots. Kindness is a garment with healing in its wings. (Words from Senior Pastoral Counselor Reverend Brian Bowes from a sermon based upon Colossians 3:12-18)