Saving Kindness from Obscurity

Kindness – it can be a banal description of a person when someone doesn't know what else to say.  It is not a negative trait, but it lacks the punch of “vivacity” or “spunk”.  And yet kindness is a fruit of the Spirit, and as such, it deserves to be rescued from being thought of as trite and elevated as a virtue to which we should aspire.

Our popular culture would have us believe that kindness should be relegated to “Sunday School”, with “reality shows” glutted with people acting terribly toward each other for the sake of entertainment.   Any kind act is held in suspicion of “what’s in it for her,” rather than a sincere expression of goodness and offering of self.  Wouldn't it be something if our society would rather teach our children (and adults as well!) the value of treating each other humanely with kindness?

There are times, in fact, when being kind is difficult or seemingly impossible.   We've had a bad day, when nothing seems to have gone right and it would be “easy” to take it out on the cashier who can’t seem to do his job with any sense of efficiency.  At those moments, kindness is a fruit of the Spirit as it comes from God rather than from our selves.  By taking a moment to breathe (remember the “peace” we learned about last week) and allowing God’s presence to be at the forefront of our being rather than an afterthought, we can reconnect with God’s command to treat the other as we would wish to be treated – with kindness.

Our Gospel lesson this week contains perhaps the most familiar Bible verse – John 3:16 (on 3/16 this year!) “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” While the verse offers a good summary of Jesus’ mission, the context in which it is offered is completely missing.

Jesus offers these words to Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a prominent leader in the community.  Nicodemus comes to Jesus while it is dark, so as not to be seen, in order to learn more about him.  His yearning for belief is achingly obvious, but his ability to accept what Jesus is telling him is inhibited by his willingness to change EVERYTHING about his way of life.

Jesus’ response to Nicodemus is imbued with kindness, not fire and brimstone.  Jesus invites Nicodemus to examine what he knows, or what he thinks he knows, and look at it in a different way.  What does it mean to be born of the Spirit?  Rather than relying solely on our mortal nature to direct our actions and reactions, we are called to incorporate God’s presence in the Spirit through our will and work.

Jesus invites Nicodemus, who represents all who hold authority and power, into a different way of being.  He does not use coercive or abusive language that would intimidate or bully.  With kind yet firm words, Jesus shares the core of his mission with Nicodemus, who himself has the ability to influence the course of events.  Jesus doesn't plead on his own behave for Nicodemus to do just that, and, as we know, he doesn't, but that does not mean Jesus’ kind words did not effect change. 

I think that Nicodemus, in his own naivete, never imagined that his brethren would have gone so far as to maneuver the Roman authorities to kill Jesus. After hearing what Jesus had to say, he had a lot to think about, and though he wasn't able to stop Jesus’ crucifixion, he showed his own kindness to Jesus by showing up with 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes to embalm Jesus’ body.  Nicodemus was changed by Jesus’ kindness, offered through his loving and inspiring words.  May his example show us how powerful kindness really is.