I. illustration: "Scott Currin" (NFI), Nov 02, came to Church with family, and introduced himself and said that he was moving to the community. About two weeks later he called and told of mothers death to DWI in Florida...trying to get back home, to Texas, his car broke down, and he needed $150 for bus fare, Western Union. Though I don’t usually offer money, to this nice young man and his family, my heart wemnt out. I wired the money and for almost a year, did not hear a word.
On Thursday 8-29-03 my phone rang, same guy, same story, same request for money.... (I have since learned he did this to other people and other churches. He even called again in late ’05 or early ’06).
But did I show Kindness? You might be thinking gulable (don’t say it)! But I never thought someone would come into the Church and perpetrate a scheme.
If the Chracter of a Christian is to be Kindness and Goodness, what does that mean? Would you describe the world we live in as kind? Watch a hockey match, some other sporting event. Wasn’t it just a few short months a ago that parents of one team started kicking and beating the father of a boy who made a late hit in a football game? We all rememeber that Tanya Harding introduced violence even into the world of figure skating. And what about goodness? I’m afraid that people just don’t seem to be very committed to the idea of goodness anymore. Watch a few reality television shows. It won’t take long for you to see a lack of goodness. One, this past week, which features family members of a Manhatten family in a Mansion competing for a million dollars. One character was to give money to a family member, who if they had the most money, who chose who was to go up for elimination. The woman asked him, "Why? Why should I give to you?" He smiled and said "Because I’m your friend". She gave him her suitcase of money, and when he had the most, he named her for elimination. Some friend!
(1) I heard a story about a woman who was standing at a bus stop. She had just cashed her tax refund check, so she was carrying more money than usual & was a little bit nervous about that. She glanced around & noticed a shabbily dressed man standing nearby. And as she watched, she saw a man walk up to him, hand him some money, & whisper something in his ear.
She was so touched by that act of kindness that she decided to do the same. In a burst of generosity, she reached into her purse, took out $10, handed it to the man, & whispered to him, "Never despair, never despair."
The next day when she came to the bus stop, there he was again. But this time he walked up to her & handed her $110. Dumbfounded, she asked, "What’s this?" He said, "You won, lady. Never Despair paid 10 to 1."
Kindness and Goodness may not always pay 10 to 1; but rather it will likely cost you something; your time; your energy; your investment. When I first thought of combining these two traits together, I was thinking in my mind, that kindness might be that affection that we show others, while goodness would represent that inner moral character of who you are. That Kindness is a state of action, the act of being kind, and goodness is the state of being good. But looking at the Greek understanding, I have found that these two words must be combined together, and they are more interwoven than I might have thought. In fact sometimes the same Greek word is used, and it is only the translator that has chosen to ascribe either the English word Kindness or Goodness depending on what else the passage might be saying.
Kindness and Goodness "chrestotes" #5544 meaning from the root of #5543, usefulness, i.e. moral excelleance (in character or demenor) and Goodness "chrestos" #5543 meaning usefulness, and from the root #5530, meaning to be "employed". Useful in a manner of morals, better, easy, gracious, kind. At their very root meaning, they indicate being "useful" or gainfully "employed" if you will, with high moral character. It is then the assumption then of this meaning, that if a person is of high moral character they then reflect kindness and goodness.
Pastor Melvin Newland says "That Goodness is doing the right thing for the right reason. (Though sometimes we do it for the wrong reason). Cal Thomas wrote, "Love talked about is easily ignored. But love demonstrated is irresistible." Jesus not only talked about love & kindness, but He modeled it for us, too. He healed Jarius’s daughter. Responded to the woman who touched the hem of his garment. Spoke to the woman at the well. Wrote in the sand while insults and accusations were being made at the adulterous woman. Titus reminds us to do what is good. To obey the government appointed over us. To be obediant and do what is good. Don’t speak evil. Avoid quarreling.
Titus even reminds us that thos were the things of our old lives, foolishness and disobediance. But then God showed us His kindness and love. It was modeled for us, so let us now do good. And because we have been forgiven let us do good for others, and when we do good it is beneficial for everyone.
Have you ever watched the Rudy Rudiegar story. I cry every time I see the movie. A story of a young man, really pretty small in stature who dreamed of attending Notre Dame. Really he not only dreamed of attending there, but dreamed of playing football. Dreamed of making his father proud. He went to Junior College and pushed himself so he could be admitted to Notre Dame. Pushed past rejection letters until finally he was accepted, but had lost some of his eligability time. He tried out for the football team, but was only used on a practice team. At one point the coach says "I wish all my players had a heart as big as Rudy Rudiegar". Every week of practice for two years he made himself a tackling and blocking dummy so that the players of the fighting Irish could go on the field and win. His dream though was still to make his father proud. Not only would he be the first in his family graduate college, but he would have played for Notre Dame.
It came down to the final game of the season, and the new coach was not going to let Rudy play, when starting players one by one walked in to the coahes office and laid their jersey’s on his desk, saying "Rudy can have my number coach". The coach let Rudy dress, sacrificing one of his sixty roster players. Then it game down to the closing minutes, but Rudy was not going to get to play. The fighting Irish were told to kill the play and run off the clock, but they scored a touchdown instead? Why? So Rudy could go in for the defense. For several minutes the jammed packed arena had shouted "Rudy, Rudy, Rudy"! The Coach relents and put him in with seconds to go; the movie even shows Rudy making the final tackle of the game, and these giant size starters run on the field and carry Rudy off on their shoulders. The credits tell that at Notre Dame, this season ending game in 1975 was the last time that anyone was carried off the field. Four of Rudy’s brothers went on to college."
Why? Why is that such an amazing story? Why would fans cheer for the scrawniest guy on the field and carry him off in a victory march? Why? Because Rudy exemplified a life of goodness, and kindness and dedication to his cause. By living his life the way he did, he inspired others. I am sure he did it for himself, but more importantly he did it for his friends; He did it for His team; He did it for his father.
And so can you!
(1) "Kindness" and/or "Goodness", by Melvin M. Newland, www.sermoncentral.com
