12-05-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
December 5, 2024
In Bruce Reyes-Chow’s book, “In Defense of Kindness,” he writes about how kindness is not weakness and it should not be misconstrued as simply being nice. He goes on to write, 

​“While being nice is not a bad thing in general, often being nice is an outward action that is more about not rocking the boat than about acknowledging the human dignity of others. Being nice is often about avoiding conflict, letting inappropriate actions slide, or bottling up words and actions that ought to be spoken and enacted to prevent creating an uncomfortable scene. At its worst, being nice reinforces actions and attitudes that strip away human dignity. So if that’s what you are doing, then yes, I say stop doing that.”

When I reflect on some of my own interactions with people, I tend to take the easy way out and label it as kindness. However, I’m actually avoiding uncomfortable conversations or interactions, and I justify this by telling myself that it’s kindness because that is what Jesus valued. Choosing to be kind will often require us to make some hard decisions about what is right and wrong, ethical and unethical, just and unjust. When we choose to be kind in the face of injustice, we are not simply seeking a Kumbaya moment where everyone feels all warm inside. Kindness often requires us to stand with the injured or speak out against harmful and hateful actions. 

I have heard people say, “The birth of Jesus was God’s greatest act of kindness.” That is a beautiful sentiment assuming one understands both kindness and the birth of Jesus as more than a warm, fuzzy feeling. To do so is to ignore how, according to the birth narrative, the political powers got nervous and wanted the baby Jesus killed. No one seeks to kill kindness unless the kindness threatens the status quo. God’s act of kindness made a lot of people feel uncomfortable. 

I look to you, O God, as I seek to understand the birth of Jesus and what it means to be kind as Jesus was kind. I will not reach for religious platitudes, but through your help, will reflect more deeply on the meaning of the incarnation. Amen.