I Corinthians 13:4 “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”
As Paul continues to list the characteristics of “Charity” (love in action, demonstrated by word and deed); he tells us that “Charity” “is kind”. To be “kind” is to present ourselves in such away that everyone, even our enemies, are not hurt or offended or taken aback by our demeanor, our manner of speaking, and our behavior. A “kind” person says good things to and about others, does good things for others, addresses others with respect, and is gentle toward everyone. A “kind” person is never gruff, harsh, or offensive to others; but, is warm and embracing in all situations, even if others are not so “kind”. We are Commanded to “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;” (Romans 12:10), “be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32), “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;” (Colossians 3:12), and to “giving all diligence, add to your faith … brotherly kindness” (II Peter 1:5-7). Our way of life and form of government will not be sustained without these blessed attributes of “Charity”; furthermore, without it, Churches either close their doors or cease to function as Churches and our society deteriorates into chaos, confusion, discouragement, and violence. The opposite of kindness is mean-spiritedness, and the Word of God is clear, our Lord will not bless meanness. It is a marvelous thing to see a Law Enforcement Officer apprehending a criminal person, all the while addressing the person as sir and mister and then protecting the person once he is in custody – that is kindness even under extreme circumstances. So, let us prayerfully work at being “kind”, “as the elect of God” putting on “bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering”! We must not be trapped into the feeling that our situation is hopeless, for Charity’s kindness is like a little tiny seed that, when it is planted and nourished, it becomes a very large and bountiful and lovely fruit tree. Let us show our “faith” by our “works” (James 2:18).