Kindness

Who hasn't seen the bumper sticker: "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty?" Seriously, the first time I saw it, I thought it was a joke...but I didn't get it. I was thinking "whoever made that up isn't very funny."

When I realized it was for real, I felt a lil' stupid, and I thought it was kinda cool. It's like another version of the Golden Rule, ya know? I was reminded of it by an older movie I just watched yesterday called "To End All Wars." It's a pretty heavy war movie (definitely not light-hearted), but has a powerful message.

I had heard the story of a WWII prison camp where the Allied prisoners studied philosophy and Bible scripture together at what they called Jungle University. Through the hope and inspiration they discovered in their learning, they were able to complete their forced labor--building the Thailand-Burma railroad--ahead of schedule and won the hearts of their captors. That's the story this movie tells.

One of the biggest God-truths that I've rediscovered since working with Mercy Church comes from Romans 2:4 "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" As I watched this movie, that truth came to mind. As half-starved prisoners truly practiced "random acts of kindness," the very men who oppressed them...many to death...became witnesses of something amazing, transforming, and other-wordly. It transcended culture, language, and even war.

In Psalms, David writes about the "lovingkindness" of God often...I think we could definitely use a lot more of that in our world. The kind that takes the initiative, makes no sense, and expects nothing in return. What power lies therein!