Kindness part 2

My first year out of school I was part of a ministry team using sport as a tool to share the good news of Jesus in the Cape Town area. One of our leaders once said: “There are two universal languages – sport and music.” I have since come to realise that there are more than two. 

Universal languages are not confined and restricted by a mutual knowledge of symbols (like letters) and sounds (like vowels and consonants). That’s why sport is one – anyone can kick a ball or watch someone do it – and music is as well. It transcends culture, language, background, age, race, and so much more of the divisions we create ourselves.

I’ve also found that there are a lot of other things that pay no heed to these boundaries. Things like kindness, friendliness and generosity. Jesus tells the story of a man who was robbed, then left him for dead. A Samaritan (there were hate between Samaritans and Israelites) helped the man and took care of him when other supposed allies (important Israelites) would not.

Kindness can even overcome hate, political differences, social differences and everything else that divides us.

Jesus says in Luke 6:32-36:

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

In the end kindness is not earned (by us or others) but multiplied by being kind first.

A prayer:

Father, I am sorry for the times that I chose not to speak your language of love, but to hold on to hate and divisiveness. Please show me how I can be kind to those I differ from to the glory of your name. Amen.