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Kindness and Gentleness


         Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (II Timothy 2:22-26)

          I’m tempted to hide behind the couch again. Oh, I’ve no more problems than most people with pursuing righteousness faith, and love along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. At least, that’s what I tell myself. But pursuing peace? In a good moment, I might, but most of the time, my automatic reaction to “peace” is “dead.” I tend to see peace as when everything is flowing smoothly – no emotional ups or downs. That means peace is “flatlining.” And it can feel that way.
          Don’t kid yourself, you probably have the same reaction. Why do you read a romance novel, go to a sporting event, watch a scary movie, etc.? It’s so that you feel something. It’s so you’re no longer emotionally flat-lining, not so that you have peace.
We’re to be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful, and gentle with everyone. Here, I feel the need to argue, not with Paul, but with the world. What does it mean to be kind? What does it mean to gently instruct? A meme and a picture come to mind.
         The meme simply says that “kindness is loaning someone your strength instead of reminding them of their weakness.” I don’t quite agree with this, because “loaning” something means that one has a right to expect it to be returned, possibly with interest. Still, the idea works because the word loaning makes it clear that the recipient isn’t free to do with it what he/she wants, and it’s a short term thing. You can lend sixteen people your strength without running out.
          The picture is of a little boy crouching down, looking up at a large draft horse. One strike with a hoof and the kid would be dead, but he isn’t afraid. The horse is gentle because it is not using its strength against the boy. The horse would be equally gentle if it were pulling a wagon with all of its might. Gentleness isn’t the absence of power, but a choice to not use it against someone.
          Paul seems to be talking about two uses of strength. He says we are to use our strength on behalf of or for the benefit of others but not to use it against them. The other thought that comes to mind that both kindness and gentleness involve not using more strength than is needed.

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