Courageous kindness. That is the theme of this Activated issue. What do we mean when we talk about courageous kindness? It can be a lot of things. Perhaps showing kindness to someone even though they have not treated us well. Maybe it is helping someone in need or doing an anonymous, gracious act, without seeking recognition. Sometimes being kind means risking looking foolish. Kindness always requires some effort and at times some courage as well.
My mother was known to be very generous, even intrepid, in her hospitality. She almost always had someone staying with her in her home. It might have been an exchange student, an immigrant, or someone going through economic hardship. God honored her kind intentions and He never failed to bless and protect her.
During recent sports events in our city, Sally and I had ample opportunities to encourage the athletes—many of whom had disabilities—as well as the volunteers and spectators. We had heard in the news that the stadium guards were working long hours, and their pay was often delayed. Pushing my shyness into the background, I decided to approach the guards at the front gate and thank them for the outstanding job they were doing to help provide a peaceful atmosphere for the games. To my surprise, one of the young guards was visibly touched; he hugged me and thanked me profusely. Little did we know how much he needed that encouragement!
I think everyone has similar stories. We can take advantage of the many opportunities we have to show kindness to those around us if we learn to be observant and then take a step of courage when we see someone in need.
In the following pages, our contributors will examine different aspects of kindness, modeling Jesus as the greatest example of all. Let’s each try a little courageous kindness and see if we can make our part of the world a better place.