Kindness Can Be
My Dear People,
"Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind." - Mother Teresa
"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." - The Dalai Lama
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When I was a boy, an elderly man lived in the house over our back fence. His name was Mr. Rateree. We moved from that house while I was only in first grade. Though we went a mere six blocks away, that was far enough that I rarely again saw Mr. Rateree. What I remember, however, as though it were just yesterday, is Mr. Rateree coming to our fence on occasion, when he would see me and my brothers playing basketball, or chasing each other around the yard with sticks, or doing whatever we might be doing on a given afternoon, and he would call us over and stuff through the fence a candy bar for each of us.
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Kindness. Or "lovingkindness," as the Hebrew hesed is rendered.
Kindness can be a candy bar through a wire fence. Or the look in your eyes.
Kindness can be a soft word spoken. Or a hard word spoken; as truth is always kinder than untruth, and sometimes a hard truth spoken is kinder than that same truth unspoken.
Kindness can be saying nothing. And doing nothing.
Kindness will surprise us. If we'll let it.
And kindness will change our lives.
And the world.
If we'll let it.
Your brother in Christ,
Wallace+
