Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you: do you even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12.
Where did we learn it - the Golden Rule - do unto others as you would have them do unto you? In kindergarten? At our mother’s knee? Through Sunday School? It seems as if we have heard the saying forever. And for years, we’ve witnessed, either first hand or through the news, Americans taking great risks to help others.
Other religions and cultures offer similar advice, with a caveat. “What is hurtful to yourself do not to your fellow man.” Can we see the difference? Many religions admonish against harming anyone.
But, Jesus took the command a step farther. Do for others. Be proactive. Step forward. Help one another. There is a big difference in avoiding harm to another and actually stepping forward to aid another.
Yet more than any other period in my lifetime, I continue to encounter in my reading and viewing - research about the importance of kindness. The most recent appears in the announcement of the Keynote Speaker for the National Federation of Press Women’s conference. Nicole Phillips, creator of “The Kindness Podcast,” spoke on “Kindness is Contagious in the Workplace.”
Two facts in all the articles jump out at me: ways to be kind and explanations of why kindness is good for us. Do we really need instruction in how to reach out to others? Has Internet anonymity, me-first promotions, appeals to baser, more violent, instincts caused us to lose all consideration for our neighbor? Do we really have to gain benefits before we even care?
Jennifer Taylor, writing for the blog, “SignUpGenius", lists 100 random acts of kindness. They include: “Give an unexpected compliment; plant a tree; let someone cut in front of you; pay the toll for the car behind you; slow down so someone can merge in front of you in traffic; put coins in an expired parking meter; offer to return a stranger’s grocery cart to the front of the store; hand out water bottles to people working outside on a hot day; pick up a piece of litter on the street and throw it in a trash bin; write a note.”
“The Today Show” adds, “be kind to ourselves; reach out to others; get to know our co-workers; be generous with hugs (after COVID-19 goes away); don’t make assumptions that someone is being unkind - hurt people hurt people.”
Such lists are endless.
If we still don’t see a way to be kind, to pay it forward, check the internet. There are countless little acts that can make someone else’s life easier or more pleasant or at the very least, kindness can make another smile.
And what do we get in return for noticing the need of another soul?
Oh, this list is even longer. Good Housekeeping says that a random act of kindness “reduces our own stress level; permits us to go to bed happier; we stay healthier; cholesterol levels and blood pressure improve when we’re considerate; kindness makes us more attractive and we’re more productive.”
Holly Lebowitz Rossi, writing for Guideposts and Emily Esfahani Smith, writing for The Atlantic, find similar studies that report happy marriages may exist because each is kind to the other.”
Rossi concludes, “There are myriad opportunities to practice and hone this skill each day…decades of research identifies kindness as a glue that keeps couples connected through good times and bad.”
As we observe World Kindness Day, November 13, let us reflect on the words of Scott Adams, author, cartoonist, creator of Dilbert, who summarizes this entire concept of kindness. He says, “Remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”
Of course, acts of kindness won’t bring world peace disturbed by power grabbing egomaniacs, but they can make a difference in our own realms. Let us be the pebbles creating ripples of kindness across the universe.
2022
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