“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32
It’s strawberry season in North Carolina. There are several farms where you can “pick your own,” which is a favorite activity this time of year. Freshly picked strawberries are a beautiful bright red, shiny, unbruised, and wrinkle-free. As I arrived home recently, one of my neighbors rolled by in her golf cart. She stopped to say hello and handed me a bowl of gorgeous, freshly picked strawberries. That day, she had visited a local farm, so they were fresh off the vine. In today’s vernacular, folks call that a “random act of kindness.” This simple act of receiving kindness reminded me of the power and beauty of this virtue.
A whole phenomenon surrounds the “random act of kindness” trend. Social media frequently posts recommendations on how to show kindness in random ways to friends and strangers. A foundation and numerous websites provide resources and ideas for showing kindness in every situation and among every group of people who may touch our lives. After reading several articles about this trend, one conclusion was common among them. Boosting our mood, reducing stress, and possibly alleviating symptoms of depression or anxiety are the most reported benefits of random acts of kindness. Most of the research I read was heavy on the positive side for the giver, with little to be said about the recipient. So, what about the recipient? And what does the Bible say about kindness?
One of the many character traits of God is kindness. His kindness towards humanity spills out throughout the pages of the Bible. And in the ultimate act of kindness towards a fallen people, He gave His Son as a sacrifice that we may live. Isaiah 54:8 tells us that because of His everlasting kindness, He will have compassion on us. Everlasting kindness never ends, and He did that through the person of Jesus Christ. God is the author and sustainer of kindness. “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in his kindness, to us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6-7). This passage from Ephesians beautifully illustrates how God’s kindness manifests His grace and is a key part of His plan for our redemption.
God often uses people to manifest His kindness. As Christians, we know that our lives are not random. If we are the recipients of an act of kindness, and since all good things come from God, that gift of kindness is part of God’s plan for us. My neighbor had no idea that the week had been tough and finding joy at that time was particularly challenging. But God knew. As I received her gift with thanks, I looked up to the Giver of all things good and gave praise. When I felt bruised, crumpled, and lusterless, He sent a neighbor with a bowl of gorgeous strawberries to remind me of His kindness and compassion. May we always be sensitive to the Spirit when called to a “random act of kindness.” I leave you with this quote from Saint Teresa of Avila: “Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.” And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.