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| Gadwall Drake, miniature, acrylic on canvas by Eva-Maria |
When kindness is a prayer
Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra's masterpiece Don Quixote is the story of a good-hearted but fumbling and impoverished nobleman who imagines himself to be the ideal knight. In the end, Quixote dies, but the lessons of his kindness remain as a legacy for his peasant sidekick, Sancho Panza.
Kindness is at the center of the fellowship between these two friends. They consistently follow a simple rule: They must listen and try to understand each another. They may see things differently, but the more they disagree, the more considerate they are. We'd all like to be treated kindly notwithstanding our human flaws. We need to treat each other the same way. A simple act of kindness has the effect of calming turmoil of all kinds, and of helping everyone to be more receptive to the presence of divine Love.
Across the street from where I live is a little park. One evening the air was pierced by a voice that came from a man who was apparently disturbed by something, and who continued to rant for hours. Around 11 o' clock that evening, a neighbor went to see how he could help, and saw the man sitting on a bench. Just then, an elderly man with a cane approached. My neighbor felt concerned that the elderly man was placing himself in some danger. As he was thinking about what to do, the elderly man calmly seated himself next to the raving man. Shortly thereafter, all was quiet. I don't know whether a word was spoken, but the man must have felt the calm presence of that kind man. Attentive kindness has a way of making us feel secure, because there is love in kindness.
Although Little Acts of kindness can appear insignificant, they are nevertheless potent, because they have their source in God. They offer opportunities to understand the spiritual nature of God and man. God is Love. Thus you and I, as Love's sons and daughters, have a natural capacity to be kind. And, in turn, we have His promise: "The mountains shall not depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee." Isa. 54:10. We might say that God's kindness is a kind of giving of Himself to His creation.
Jesus proved how kindness could be put into action. His spiritual nature found expression in his humanity, exemplified by his preaching, teaching, and healing. For example, as a guest at the house of his disciple Peter, Jesus gently attended to Peter's feverish mother-in-law and healed her. See Matt. 8:14–15 . And how apparent his kindness was in his concern for a multitude of hungry people! He fed them all. Mark 8:1–9 . Or, think about his immeasurable kindness toward sinners: "Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost." See Luke 15:1–6.
Hillel, who was a leading teacher in Jerusalem during the late first century B.C., taught that kindness is the essence of all the Commandments. He taught, "What is hateful to you, do not unto your neighbor." Though lofty, this standard is possible to achieve, and essential to our progress. The kindness we impart carries its own authority. It helps to reduce fear, violence, and all other types of human suffering.
During The Time I was writing this article, I had a chance to observe how persuasive the healing presence of kindness is. I was running an errand. I became distracted and concerned by some children crying nearby, so I didn't see a step on the sidewalk coming up. I took a hard fall. The pain was sharp. A young man came running toward me and asked, "Are you all right?" His thoughtful concern and the words "all right" stood out to me. I thanked him and got up.
My clothes were badly torn, and I was uncomfortable. But I was so struck by the boy's kindness, and the way this beautiful quality was God's way of caring for me, that I immediately understood that my love for the children couldn't produce pain, even if I had missed a step.
I thought about God's benign creation. This helped me to become more kind toward myself and more thankful to my God. This quote from the Bible was my prayer: "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Ps. 34:1. Soon, all the pain disappeared. I finished the errand, and once I arrived home, I cleaned the blood from my legs and changed my clothes. And a few hours later the wounds were healed.
Times such as these are almost holy moments. When they occur, we understand, deeply and beyond all doubt, that kindheartedness is a warm, inner opening to our spiritual relation to God, and to each other.
From the July 2002 issue of The Christian Science Journal
"Every man feels instintively that all the beautiful sentiments in the world
weigh less than a single lovely action." -- James Russell Lowell
