Kindness

I was at lunch the other day when I noticed a sign on the wall with a saying on it. Sometime I think that sayings hung on the wall or sent out in email might sound wise, but at heart are not truth. We just say them because they are witty in construction or sound as if they should be true, but when one digs deeper, no truth is found.

That's kind of what I thought when I first read this sign the other day:

Kindness is Powerful
At first I thought it might be one of those things you say to a Second Grader in order to convince him to take turns.

But is kindness powerful?

I think that maybe it is. It's not powerful in the way that money can be powerful in society. It's not powerful the way that success can be. It's powerful in the way that Jesus speaks in the Beatitudes.

• When one person sends a card to another person in the hospital, and lifts his spirits, kindness has power.
• When someone takes a cake to a neighbor who is in grief, and shows her that she is not alone, kindness has power.
• When a compliment and a smile are shared, and the recipient's self-confidence is lifted, kindness has power.
• When criticism is delivered in a way that includes respect and consideration, kindness has power.
• When empathy is substituted for judgment, kindness has power.

Love has power, and kindness is often its vehicle.