January 6, 2002

I Corinthians 13  - read at most weddings, but written for a church!
 

 As we grow in the Christian life the issues we wrestle with are more basic and simple than when we first started on this journey. The concepts, the ideas, the issues, the truths we must devote ourselves to are more straight-forward and simple - not easier, but more simple - not easier to master, just easier to grasp.

 In our early stages of Christian development, most of us wrestle with large complicated issues:
 - who is God? What is God like? Is God knowable?
 - who is Jesus Christ?
 - what is the meaning of the Incarnation, the Cross, the Resurrection?
- what about Christ & other religions?
 - what about the Bible & Science?

 Early on the issues are complicated. And if you’re wrestling with these questions in a big way today, I believe you’re in a good, healthy place to do that, because we have an openness to questioning in the midst of striving to be fully devoted to a Christ-centered faith in a modern world.

 Now, I’m not suggesting that once we’re on the road of faith we never address these issues again. If that were the case, why would we give such attention to Christmas & Good Friday & Easter? - these are always ultimate issues for us. But I’m suggesting that at some point in our Christian journey our walk with God becomes simple and the issues we wrestle with become more basic, less complicated.

The issues I’m thinking about include such things as Trust, Hope, Contentment, Humility, Grace, Patience, Reverence, Holiness. None of these are complicated. They’re more simple than doctrine, but they’re just as important in developing Christian character. And these are the issues we will wrestle with for the rest of our lives, whether we’ve gotten the doctrines all figured out or not.

 I thought I’d take one of these virtues and talk about it with you today on this first Sunday of 2002. The virtue is kindness. It might be a helpful New Year’s Resolution this year - to resolve to walk in kindness, to focus on this virtue throughout the year. "Love is patient, love is kind." said St. Paul.

 There are very few slogans from political speeches that stick with us, that resonate so much that we remember them and continued to be inspired by them. But when George Bush, the Father, said, "I want a kinder, gentler America" it struck a chord with us and the phrase has become part of the lexicon of our language.

 That’s not a bad way to phrase a New Year’s Resolution . . "I want to live this year, as a kinder and gentler person than I was last year."

 Now, I don’t have to convince you that kindness is a good idea, or a good Christian virtue to have. We all know this. So let me just make a few common sense observations about kindness.

 First, I think there are basically two categories of kindness.

 One type of kindness is when you set out to do a kind deed. You plan ahead and intentionally seek to do something kind for someone. You send a note, make a visit, bake a casserole, give a gift, lend a hand These things are so important.

 When I got back from  vacation this week, one of the things I did was make a few calls to check in on some people who I had given pastoral care to before Christmas. These were people going through various difficult situations - losses &  illnesses. And 3 times that morning I heard the exact, word-for-word, sentence - "People have been so kind."    -  It really helps.

 Of course, acts of kindness help not only the recipient, but the giver as well. Such deeds remind us who we are and whose we are. They develop habits of the heart, habits of kindness in our lives.

 Giving Tree this past Christmas is a great example of intentional kindness. Jerri LeConte and her family put out almost 300 ornaments. We estimate that the gifts averaged  $20-$30, plus several thousand dollars worth of gift certificates. So we easily gave away over $10,000 worth of gifts. And with those gifts we made people’s Christmas. That is human kindness at its best.

 The advantage of this type of kindness is it’s planned, organized and intentional, and therefore you’re well prepared for it.

 When we take the kids to the soup kitchen or to Boston to work with the homeless, we prep them about what to expect, how to handle certain situations. We role play with them -- what do you say to a homeless person?

 Kindness that’s planned out is a little easier than kindness when we’re on the run. That’s the Other type kindness - Kindness when we’re on the go, when we’re on the run, - Kindness along the way. For me this type of kindness of tougher.

 The week before Christmas is pretty crazy around the church.  We had to run off over 1500 bulletins (5 services in 2 days with 4 different programs). Half the church takes a day off to shop & you stop in to chat. We’re honored that we’re a part of your lives.  We cherish that. However when you’re in this line of work it’s really hard the week before Christmas to say time & time again, "Hi. How are you?" Last year, I even put a sign on the door one day, "No Chatting. It’s Christmas." (not very kind, I’m embarrassed to say!)

 It’s hard to be kind when we’re feeling rushed and stressed. I heard a distinction once between being busy & active vs. being rushed & living in the crisis mode. I can be kind when I’m active, and even when I’m busy. But when I’m inwardly rushed, stressed, or anxious, kindness is much more difficult.

 Have you also noticed that it’s tougher to be kind when you’re tired? My Mother used to say, "Son, I’m too tired to be nice right now." Sometimes the thing we most need to help us live more like Christ, is a good night’s sleep!

 Kindness on the run, as we go about our daily lives is a high calling but it’s the one we’re called to. Kindness is sometimes something you go & do. Other times, it’s something you do as you go.

 Let me close with a couple of illustrations.

 I once asked a friend what his weekend plans were, and he told me that he was going to the retirement party for the tollbooth lady at Exit 6. I thought to myself, "This guy has got to get a life!" But then he told me about her, how she made everyone feel so special, especially the regulars. She got to know their names. And her interactions with them were a great blessing to them. In face, he later told me, over 100 people came to the party!

 When we lived in Pennsylvania, our next door neighbor was Mr. Derr. I used to talk to him about once a week. When he’d see me moving, he’d often come outside and we’d talk, usually for about 10 minutes, no longer because Mr. Derr was hard of hearing. 10 minutes a week. But during those times he told me about his life -- the failing health of his wife, his estranged son, his own healthy. One day I had to tell him that we were moving to Maine. He welled up with tears in his eyes and said, "I’m going to miss you, Rich. You’re the only one I have to talk to."

 A little bit of kindness goes a long, long way.

 On September 11th, remember how good it felt to hear that blood donors we’re lined up outside hospital, so much so that they couldn’t even utilize them all? In the face of such tragedy & evil, simple human kindness gave us hope.

 For the last several years our Compassion child has been Zenebech Asfaw from Ethiopia. She is 13 years old, a beautiful child who loves school and works hard for her family. One of her chores for her family is to carry the water each day from the town well to her family’s home. Her most recent letter touched me deeply. She told about the Christmas traditions in her country. She updated us on her schooling. Then she wrote: "I heard about the plane crash in your country and I am so sorry. I pray that God would comfort the people of America." What kindness, that a dear, sweet little child from Ethiopia is praying for us.

 Last Fall we talked about Healthy Religion vs. Unhealthy Religion. Healthy Religion should help to make us kinder, gentler people.

 Abraham Heschel, the Jewish philosopher and theologian, once wrote: "When I was young I admired clever people. Now that I am old I admire kind people."

 Let’s pray:
 Kind and loving God,
  Fill us today with your Spirit and power. Live through us. Love through us, that we may be channels of your love to all those we meet. In Christ’s name. Amen.

Rich Knight