Kindness! What a world of meaning is included in this heart-warming word, evoking remembrance of compassionate deeds and loving self-sacrifice by others for those near and dear to them and for the general welfare. Kindness softens the asperities, knitting together again through conciliation those long separated by strife and misunderstanding and comforting the ones subjected to harsh treatment. A kind word, even a smile, may give hope and inspiration to a weary traveler who may have accepted hardship as inevitable and grown bitter in consequence. Small acts of kindness speak volumes and encourage the downcast and sad, the despairing and hardened, to renew their faith in the presence of good and its ultimate victory over evil.
How can we acquire this standard of consistent loving-kindness? Mary Baker Eddy points the pathway to this desirable attainment when, in her "Miscellaneous Writings," she states (p. 117): "Obedience is the offspring of Love; and Love is the Principle of unity, the basis of all right thinking and acting; it fulfils the law. We see eye to eye and know as we are known, reciprocate kindness and work wisely, in proportion as we love." Bearing aloft the banner of Love, the "Principle of unity," we can regard all men in their true identity as spiritual beings, beloved of their Father, and inheriting His perfection and purity.
An instance of God-reflected love is found in the Biblical record of Joseph. After the passing of Jacob, his sons, despite the generosity shown them by their brother, questioned whether Joseph might reverse his former kindly attitude and repay them for the evil they had done to him. But Joseph continued to express the invariable quality of God's ever-present goodness, which precludes a reversal under any circumstances. Through all his vicissitudes Joseph had lived close to God and had un-failingly imaged forth divine Love toward all, even to those who had dealt treacherously with him. He displayed no resentment because he manifested his spiritual nature under every provocation.
When Joseph's brethren asked him to forgive their trespass, he, not having felt enmity toward them, was touched by their request and addressed these words of comfort to them (Gen. 50:19—21): "Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones." The record continues, "And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them." With what overflowing hearts those brethren must have returned to their homes, assured of Joseph's constant regard for them, which was patterned on God's immutable love for all His children.
Occasions arise when it seems difficult to show love to a fellow being who has seemed to mete out injustice. In such circumstances it is helpful to recall the words of our Master (Luke 6:35), "Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil." God never withholds anything good, even though an individual may appear ungrateful for or unaware of man's spiritual inheritance. God is forever giving to man, man being always the recipient. We can prove this truth by obediently reflecting Godlike qualities and expressing gratitude.
Kindness and love are interwoven. Genuine acts of kindness, though apparently small, are prompted by love, and love is an attribute of God. Each child of God is imbued with this divine quality, but if we lose sight of this spiritual fact, we may accept a spurious and contentious misconception of man as real and then have to retract and replace this false concept with the true spiritual idea. How much joy we experience by expressing divine Love! Generous appreciation of others, whether voiced or unspoken, brings a gladness to the heart and an expansion of outlook and ability; whereas carping criticism tends toward self-justification, narrowing one's viewpoint and capacities.
Christian Scientists behave kindly toward those who hold theological convictions different from theirs or who rely upon material remedies for healing. They do not condemn either the false trend of thought or the persons holding it, but endeavor to see beyond the material mist the man of God's workmanship, bearing the impress of Love. This right thinking derives from the law of kindness—the law of Love that knows no evil, because it emanates from God. When we have reached the altitude of complete selflessness, we shall hold every member of the community in high esteem, because we shall be seeing his true selfhood, which coexists with God.
It is the beclouded and biased outlook which attaches wrong traits to persons; God's idea cannot possibly express anything contrary to divine Love. By truly reflecting God's thoughts, we can obliterate mortal mind's false delineation and bring to light the radiant beauty of unchanging Love.
Mrs. Eddy was well aware of the necessity of a kindly attitude toward others, even toward one who may have strayed from the path of rectitude. The benign, Christly grace of compassion can always be extended to the erring one. By knowing that, as the son of God, evil can find no place in him, we are expressing the highest form of kindness, for such is the true concept of man as cognized by his Maker.
Mrs. Eddy has some wise counsel apropos of this subject in her work "No and Yes." Here she lovingly reminds us (p. 7): "We must love our enemies, and continue to do so unto the end. By the love of God we can cancel error in our own hearts, and blot it out of others." She continues further on: "Every loving sacrifice for the good of others is known to God, and the wrath of man cannot hide it from Him. God has appointed for Christian Scientists high tasks, and will not release them from the strict performance of each one of them." On the next page she further directs: "We should endeavor to be long-suffering, faithful, and charitable with all. To this small effort let us add one more privilege—namely, silence whenever it can substitute censure."
Our Leader met with many experiences which required a display of charity and forbearance in the face of apparent hatred. Instead of jumping to conclusions regarding anyone, we need to persevere more in our efforts to discern in Science the real man in every individual we meet. Hasty deductions are rarely compatible with the law of love, which enjoins us to think kindly of our neighbor and not to misjudge his motives. Kindness is the essence of divine Love and never varies, nor is it withdrawn. One who understands the real man is always abundantly furnished with the disarming characteristic of loving-kindness—a royal gift from his heavenly Father.
After exhorting the Christians at Ephesus to live in unity and peace, Paul concludes the fourth chapter of his epistle to the Ephesians with this tender entreaty: "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
