I've been thinking a lot lately about the niceties of etiquette. You know what I mean, things like saying "hello" or goodbye." Greeting people when walking down the street, saying "How's it going?" or acknowledging people based on their successes. I've just been thinking a lot about this. It seems to me that sometimes the more "spiritual" we get, it is common that the niceties are the first things to go by the wayside. It's like, if we have passion, we can't greet people anymore. If we have fervor, we can no longer smile or be kind. If we learn God's ways, we automatically have to start also ignoring our brothers and sisters in Christ. So prevalent is this truth in the Christian world, that I constantly find myself returning to scripture to remind myself if God has any comment on "kindness." Did Jesus save us from our sins, just so we could all become missional jerks? Is God cool with us using our passion for him to "blow off" our brothers? I mean honestly, isn't that the world's complaint about us? I think most people would rather just step into a bar than into a church building. At least in a bar people greet each other and have an honest smile.I'd like to suggest that if Christianity isn't kind, it becomes one dimensional. I'd like to suggest that on most occasions, Christ was kind. I'd like to argue that if Christ was ever unkind, it was for a holy reason and purpose. Jesus was able to "wield the sword" of passion and forcefulness so well, because he was a genuinely kind individual. We struggle to wield passion and forcefulness, because many times it is the only weapon in our arsenal. Sure, God calls us to carry a forceful sword as warrior, but we must never forget our role as doctor, softly holding the scalpel of delicate precision, ready to gently cut away sin's cancer.
Luke 6:35- But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
2 comments:
Amen! Well said Chris!
I constantly have to remember Galatians 6:14: "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Sum it up in the lyrics to
"When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" by Isaac Watts
"When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride."
Pride begets arrogance and arrogance rudeness and then the fall
I struggle a lot with kindness. Also, looking over the course of my life, many leaders in the church I have been around have struggled with this as well. I don't think all Christians are this way, or even a majority of them. However, I do think that leadership (in all walks of life) has a tendency to slip into this category from time to time. I think it is a natural response to having power. When people get power, they can loose their kindness. In Christianity, coming to power may look like growing spiritually. Still, they are not one in the same. Christians who have power may not be truly spiritual. Since true spirituality is often kind, it could be argued that unkind leaders may have great leadership skills, but lack deep spirituality.
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