1939 was a pivotally important year. It marked the start of World War 2 in Europe, Lou Gehrig’s retirement from baseball and the birth of Cleavon Little and John MacArthur. (I never imagined putting those two in the same sentence but, there you go!) But most importantly, it was the year of COLOR. It was the year that our black & white, monochromatic existence was expanded to see things like Mauve, Puce and Chartreuse. That’s right! Before 1939 the whole world was only black and white. I have proof! Check your Prime, Netflix or Hulu accounts. Every movie, TV show, Newsreel and newspaper before 1939 was black & white. It was not until August 1939 when Dorothy landed in Oz that Color came into our world. The moment she stepped onto the yellow brick road, we have had Technicolor, Kodachrome and Jonas and Gillian’s eternal Blue & Red shirts. Can you imagine or do you remember a world where rainbows are only in grayscale? It was a world without Blue Moon ice cream or Multi-colored Teletubbies (not sure we needed those – whatever they are).

Now just in case you think I am completely crazy, this is the fun story I used to tell our kids. I tried to convince them that color was discovered in 1939 and was released to the world through the Wizard of Oz. (Just for the record, if you ask them about this now, they will assure you that I am crazy and they never believed me.) I stand by my delusions!

This whole idea of color versus a black & white world intrigues me. What if the world was really devoid of many of the sensory things we take for granted? For some, it is! What if instead of Color, we had only Grayscale – instead of 66 piano keys, we had only 4. What if our sense of taste was only Sour or lacked Sweet? Here’s the powerful truth: We don’t need the variety. We can exist just fine with 2 colors, 4 notes and 1 taste. You doubt me? Talk to the person born without this full range of sense and experience. Many will share with you that they can still experience a life full of enjoyment. Ever heard of Fanny Crosby or Nick Vujicic ? Look them up!

So why this crazy rant on sensory perception? It’s simple! The variety of senses we enjoy is a pure GIFT! It is a gift of grace and a measure of the great love that our Creator has for those He created in His image. Do you think an amoeba or a worm have these gifts? It is said that dogs cannot see color. Why then do we get this gift of diverse perception? Kindness! Divine Kindness! There is no other answer that makes sense.

So what is Kindness? Is it simply being nice to someone? What if I extend kindness to someone so as to curry favor with them? Is this really kindness? I would argue, “No!” That is selfishness. I would suggest that Kindness is the result of being Humble; it is the Action of Humility. Humility is a selfless position of the mind. It is a way of thinking about others first. A way of viewing people and situations. C.S. Lewis said that Humility is not thinking less of your self but thinking about yourself less.

So how do we model this behavior? “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ.” (Philippians 2:5). Kindness is the Action of this Mindset. The action is outward focused. It is the foot washing, it is the servant leader standing so others can have a seat. It is a choice to eat last so others don’t go without. It is silent, subtle; behind the scenes.

The moment Kindness goes public, it runs the risk of souring to pride. The quietness of Kindness means that it often goes unnoticed and uncelebrated – except to the object of the kindness. That honored individual is graced with a sense of value, worth and appreciation. They are bestowed the gift of seeing an additional color in the rainbow. When Kindness is withheld, it is a blessing denied to the giver. It is color lost, sound muted, taste soured for the intended receiver.

Do you recall how Jesus talked about Kindness? Walk the extra mile. Turn the other cheek. Return evil with good. A soft answer turns wrath. It was always the acts of Kindness that He highlighted and not the frame of mind. But we understand that frame of mind had to be like His – Humble. We need some tangible ways to apply Kindness.

1. Focus – Pay attention to the Needs of Others. Be intentional about looking for and meeting the need in the moment. That includes the comfort of others. Here is a good litmus test. As soon as I feel uncomfortable, that is my trigger to look around to see if someone else is also uncomfortable and find a way to help them. Kindness!
2. Listen – Listening is not the same as hearing. To truly listen is to pay attention to the person and the purpose of their words. Are they talking to share laughter or pain? Experience it with them. This is the point of Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” How can share in that experience if we did not listen to their words? Kindness!
3. Serve – It is our pride that gets in the way of service. If we have a sense of entitlement or an expectation of reward and recognition, we will not serve. If the Master of the Universe came without an expectation to be served, are we better then Him? “…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28 Kindness!
4. Smile – No doubt you have heard of an RBF: Resting Bad Face (I know, but this is a G rated channel). Suffice it to say that if you look angry, you will struggle to find opportunities to show kindness. “A man who has friends must himself be friendly,” (Proverbs 18:24) If Christians are supposed to be living an Abundant Life but we look like we were weaned on a pickle, no one is going to believe our acts of kindness. They will suspect an agenda or a bait-n-switch. If Jesus is on the inside, let your outside show it. Kindness!

Bottom Line: If Kindness is important enough to make it in the 9 Fruit of the Spirit, it is one we need to get better at developing and doing. Go spread some Color and Music for the world to hear!

OPEN MIC:  SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

1. Who has shown you kindness?
2. How did you respond to that gesture?

-Michael G

Further reading: Fruit of the Spirit