Kindness and a Kind of Radiance

Everybody’s different.

If I had to pinpoint just one thing that moves me the most in this world, it is probably kindness.

I try not to pass judgment on a person, because I know my own discernment is always finite – sometimes more, sometimes less. However, we inevitably do have opinions of people – and personally, I observe that my opinions of others generally stands or falls depending on whether I perceive them to be kind.

I really like kind people. A lot. On the other hand, anyone who is blatantly unkind to others, even if not to me directly, will, at best, be an amiable acquaintance.

What I mean by ‘kindness’ is this – having more regard and care for the broken, the lost and the "seemingly unattractive" than for the beautiful, charming and outstanding. 

It is one of the natural rhythms of life that human beings gravitate towards those who display positivity, confidence, beauty and strength. Anybody can do that.

Hence, the kindness I talk about is almost unnatural. Maybe supernatural is a better term.

What about myself? On my part, I am no kind person. I know that.

Yet, at the same time, and I say this not to boast but to make a point, I do have a regard and care for the broken and the lost. How do I explain this?

I think the reason why an unkind and impatient person like myself can be kind is because I recognize myself as a rather broken and lost person. In fact, we probably all are, but in different degrees. I don’t know, but I am sure my own brokenness helps me identify with others.

There are plenty of unkind people like me whose kindness arises from an acute awareness of our own weakness. Maybe we are like lepers who wash each others’ wounds and change each others’ bandages, if you don’t find the image degrading. I don’t.

Then there are those who (it seems to me) are just innately compassionate, to whom kindness just seems like the default approach. These people walk around, enveloped with an unmistakable radiance which I hope to catch a little of, and maybe use to brighten up some dark places in the world, and some dark corners of my heart.

Maybe they are in fact like me, just that I don’t know it. Whatever it is, they sure do seem bright and shiny. I would to God that there were more of them.

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’”

Thank God.