Kindness.

In the summer of 1996, I had the pleasure of traveling to Ternopil, Ukraine for a six week Vacation Bible School project. The pictures and images of entering another country were shocking and at times, overwhelming. This was my first experience with being in a foreign country.

The airport in which we landed was small, dirty, and had a palpable harshness. I recall the cold concrete buildings which matched the cold stares of the airport security with their Soviet-era uniforms and rifles slung at their side. As soon as we got off the plane, we were literally corralled, like animals, into a dark, gated area. There were five of us from America. We all felt a little uneasy but, thankfully, one of our party had been there the year before. She soothed our edgy nerves and assuaged the tension. In her opinion, the outcome would be pleasant.  

One particular guard glared at us, causing us to doubt our comrades' reassurance. There was no kindness in that grim face. Was this what the next six weeks would mirror? I was not full of warm-fuzzies at that moment. 

But the progression through Ukrainian customs did go well. There were no issues; only standard searches. We crept along several darkened corridors and emerged unscathed and very thankful.

That was the most sullen of all our experiences in Ukraine. After this rugged start, we were esteemed by one pleasant gesture after another. We learned that this was simply how the Ukrainian people were until they welcomed you into their homes.

What seemed unkind at the first, was now overturned by numerous solicitous encounters. They were not stoic and unkind but rather warm and generous once you ventured into their homes, into their lives. Their kindness had only been hidden behind a facade constructed by numerous, heinous crimes against their humanity.

This week we are uncovering God’s innumerable kindnesses toward us. Reason? So that we can bud, bloom and ultimately bear the fruit of kindness in our own life. It’s the kindness of God, directed towards us, that grows and develops the fruit of the Spirit in us; this power comes from God through His Spirit. 

I’m convinced, as many of you are also, that our world needs myriads more acts of kindness daily. We need citizens who are both aware of this world’s hurts and are willing and capable of bandaging up those hurts. We need schools filled with teachers who are attuned to the hurts of little hearts and know how to deliver an apt form of kindness. Our world takes a deeper breath of relief when strong leaders shed aggressive authority and transform into shepherd-like helmsmen. What exultation erupts from heaven’s throne room when mothers and fathers dig out extra moments to coddle an anxious child?

Jesus is God; He lived to create a world exposed to the kindness of God. Titus 3: 4-5 tells us this about God’s kindness: “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus is the physical expression of God’s kindness. That is significant.

In Luke 10, Mary was rescued from her sister’s overzealous complaint; Jesus’ kindness embraced Mary’s need AND Jesus’ kindness also worked with Martha’s need (to slow down and be with God). In Luke 17, Jesus displays a much different extension of kindness: He healed ten lepers of a gross and severely isolating disease. But the ultimate expression of God’s kindness for the world comes in the graphic mutilation of human flesh; Jesus allowed His frame to be tortured so that our souls would experience God’s kindness [instead of wrath]. The greatest act of kindness is derived from a full heart of love. In Jesus’ life, death and resurrection God leaned into our distress and impressed his kindness on us. 

May we be blessed by this very deep and personal commitment by the Son of God. May his dying expression of kindness touch that hurting side of us. And may His resurrection assure us of the continued living that we will do, embraced eternally in his forgiveness.