Unless you've been living under a rock (in which case I envy you), you've probably seen or heard something politics-related, especially this past week. There's been a lot going on. The inauguration of our new president, the Women's March, the controversy and arguments behind both. And that's just the surface.
Usually, I'm ready to discuss all things politics. I used to want nothing to do with it, but with how much of it has been forced on me the past year-and-a-half, I've learned it's an important thing to discuss and something that always had room for improvement and we play a huge part in that. But lately, I've slipped back to how I used to be, rolling my eyes and scrolling past anything involving politics. I'm weary of it.
Why?
Because we've forgotten what being civil and kind means.
The other day I read Ephesians 4:31-32. It says: "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (ESV) I wanted to plaster that all over anything within a hundred-mile radius and scream it on every roof top. This is the one thing we've forgotten, and it breaks my heart. Kindness. What a beautiful word, with a beautiful meaning, with a beautiful and massive effect.
Kindness is what brings us together, what helps us grow, what gives us joy. Kindness is what keeps this world spinning.
And that's why it's falling apart.
We as humans now have the mindset that, if someone does not share our morals, they are automatically wrong and we need to educate them on where they've gone wrong (which more than often leads to more division than anything). That our opinions always needed to be heard, and if someone disagrees, they're foolish, being confrontational, or "part of the problem."
Newsflash: that is not kindness.
Kindness is loving a person who disagrees with you or has different morals than you and seeing them as a precious soul despite what they say or do, just as Christ does.
Kindness is forgiving those who hurt, insult, and demean others, despite how hard that may be, because we know that the same gift was given to us and we didn't deserve it any more than they do.
Kindness is seeing all as equal and beautiful and with a purpose, even when it's so easy to let yourself despise them and ridicule them because of what they do or say, because we were all created equal and therefore have equal room for growth and forgiveness.
Kindness is not pushing someone away or treating them as your lesser because they're different than you, because we were all human beings bursting with uniqueness; that our differences are what makes us beautiful, but Jesus looks beyond our differences and sees us for who we really are.
Kindness is so much more, so much that I could write a hundred more articles about it. And don't even get me started about how the above scriptures talk about forgiveness, tenderheartedness, and putting away with bitterness and wrath, etc. I'd never shut up!
Just remember: always be kind. To the pro-choice, the pro-life, the Muslims, the LGBTs, the Christians, the conservatives, the liberals, the people you find it almost impossible to pray for, the people who only bring negativity in your life, the people who've hurt you and you've hurt. Every race, every religion, every man or woman you ever meet...whoever it may be. They need kindness; we all need kindness. Put away your opinions and differences and remember that Christ was kind enough to come down to Earth to be with us (to die for us) and show us that it's worth it to be kind as well. That it pays off, even though it can be so, so hard. That it makes your life better, that it helps you grow, that it's completely worth it in the end.
So let's go out and spread some kindness to the world. Let's give humanity hope again. Let's show others what unconditional love is. Let's be the light. The change. Let's be what this world needs so desperately. And don't forget to be kind to yourself, because that's where it all starts.
