Kindness Is the Key

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

~1 Corinthians 14:4-7 (NIV)


A glance in the hallway is all it takes.

A rude stare.

A comment.

A look of judgement, of criticism, of superiority.

Why?

Why must you look with such contempt?

Where is your patience?

Where is your love?

Must you hurt those around you?

What purpose does such serve?

What is achieved?

What do you gain?

A laugh?

Popularity?

Excitement?

…What…?

It all confuses me.

 

The ears of a bystander twitch.

They turn away from the wrong,

They are uncomfortable.

Thus they leave before long.

Why must we be so hostile?

Why are we so rude?

Disrespectful. Unfeeling.

We’re constantly in a “mood”.

 

They say it’s because we’re young.

Our emotions boil,

Our temperatures rise.

We allow our hormones to slide.

But tell me,

Is it worth it?

To let other people’s feelings die?

And we’re always so busy.

Tick tock, tick tock,

Sounds the unstoppable clock.

Tick tock, tick tock,

Sound our footsteps as we walk.

In constant motion.

Constant speed.

Velocity. Acceleration.

So many calculations we need.

 

We calculate gravity, trigonometry, chemistry.

Fg=mg, sine cosine tangent, C=n/V.

But can we calculate love?

Can we calculate love?

We calculate love?

Love?

Do we love?

Where is our love?

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

~Colossians 3:14 (NLT)


A laugh.

A small snicker.

Your words are like wind; soft and seemingly harmless.

They are as fluid as that of an ever flowing river.

They are gusty breaths of air weaving in whispers.

But even the gentle breeze can cause a flower to waver.

Blow hard enough, and it will be knocked down.

And what did you do?

All you did was blow.

All you did was speak.

 …

Do we even realize?

 “It was a joke.”

“I’m just kidding.”

“Lighten up.”

Our actions are so sugar-coated.

There’s an excuse for everything.

Always a reason.

Do we need a reason to be kind?

Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

~Ephesians 4:29 (NLT)


Now wait a moment.

There can be joy in teasing.

Happiness in playful laughter.

We are not completely devoid of love.

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

~Proverbs 16:24 (NIV)


But beware.

Still remains a divide between teasing and taunting.

Joking and harassing.

Kidding and mocking.

Jesting and tormenting.

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

~Proverbs 12:18 (NIV)


What?

Perfect?

Me?

I also make mistakes.

I never know what to say.

And when the wrong things come out of my mouth,

Rather than apologize, I run away.

I’m not smart,

I’m no fun.

I’m like a piece of burnt toast:

Stained black and overdone.

I’m not the nicest person either.

I am proud,

I get angry,

Such are regular human emotions quite frankly.

But I’d rather be lovely.

I wish I were a tree;

Tall, strong and beautiful,

Fruitful and free.

I want to love. I want to be loved.

Have nothing but good to offer, ever leafy,

Productive and firmly rooted.

These are what I strive to be.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

~Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)


If only we could take each other’s pain,

Wrap it up,

Crush it,

And mold it into love.

Yes I know.

There’s only so much we can do.

We all have our own mountains to climb,

Our own demons to subdue.

But if we all just took a moment and offered up a kind word to somebody,

We could erase the pain.

Eradicate the sadness and dispel the darkness.

Then only love would remain.

I of beg you,

I plea.

Say “hi” to someone,

Whoever it be.

Smile.

A simple nod of the head will do.

Acknowledge another’s presence.

Anything thoughtful will definitely get through.

A small act of love for someone in need;

Anyone may convey,

Anyone may receive,

A little bit of kindness can go a long way.

Dear children, let us not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

~1 John 3:18 (NLT) 


Kindness is the language that the deaf can hear, and the blind can see.

~Mark Twain

Kindness is the key.

Let it begin with you and me.

kindsnesnsn


 

Watch your words.

The smallest things you say can have the biggest impact on people.

Pay attention to the people around you.

Be nice.

Be happy.

I encourage you to offer a kind word/gesture to someone today.

The more light you spread, the more of the darkness you will dispel.

Let us be the ones to make a positive change in the world today.

Thank you for reading. 🙂


 

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

~Mark 12:31b

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2 thoughts on “Kindness Is the Key

  1. Dear Timi,

    Wow. I am truly blown away at what you have just written. The precision in each line and how your thoughts were worded are prominently evident. Your biblical references held an empowering note, one that beautifully supports your encounters of life. Your writing was honest and soul-bearing. It was immaculate.

    The line “it all confuses me,” served as one that pushed how I was interpreting your piece and what you were trying to convey. When you mention confusion you are eliminating the chance of understanding. Are you portraying the vulnerability in kindness? Or perhaps you are presenting the fact that the thoughts behind what make us do senseless little evils are inefficient excuses that cannot hold power over another’s undoing? I feel you are representing how a moment of kindness can escape from our grasp through society’s judgment. This is where I felt almost your internal frustration in the soft word choice of confusion.

    I adored your metaphorical comparison of words to the likeness of wind. How to oneself these words may seem harmless, the wind soft then. To another the wind is stronger, it becomes whiplashing then. You used a flower to describe how it in wind, can be knocked down. I feel the words knocked down clash with the beauty of what you were portraying. You words were soft and knocked down seems sudden and harsh, I feel the whimsicality almost dissipates. I offer maybe using the words: it will be plucked form its soil? It is a suggestion.

    You mention the excuses we use for our pain evoking words, how we need a reason to validate it. But represent how kindness is not so. The stark contrast you present in your simple words is masterful. It’s almost as if you are comparing one who is grotesque to one who is pure. What truly amazes me is when you write- judgment can arise, what if’s can wander through our minds when reading your writing. But you never do give us a moment to ask the criticizing question, because if one reads ahead you have already answered it. This is what makes your so powerful in this piece I believe.

    I love how your writing in the beginning represented the perfection associated with being kind, how we head to remove ourselves from these real life occurrences. But near the end, you give us your opinion, and this wondrous goal becomes within our reach.

    I want to inquire, how did you manage to include references from the bible with such fluidity, as it is a vast text? Your ability and particularity was striking.

    Sincerely,

    Sadia

  2. Hey Timi,
    This is a great poem, and it speaks to an issue that I have been seeing. But my favourite part of it is the use of verses from the Bible, and how you had them relate to your topic and poem. The Bible has many important topics and lessons that could greatly benefit society. I really enjoyed reading your piece. Thanks
    Joel

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