Embracing Kindness: The Call to Radical Love

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Our Shared Humanity

Recognizing that over 99% of our DNA is shared among all humans reminds us of our inherent kinship. This shared humanity calls us to create spaces of kindness and compassion, transcending societal divisions. By embracing our commonality, we can foster unity and understanding in a world often marked by division. This understanding challenges us to see beyond superficial differences and to engage with others from a place of empathy and love. It is a call to action to build bridges and create a "purple space," a metaphorical place where we can transcend our differences and engage in acts of extravagant kindness and goodness. [01:47]

"For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." (Romans 12:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a person or group you find difficult to relate to. How can you intentionally create a "purple space" with them this week, fostering understanding and kindness?

Day 2: The Depth of the Golden Rule

The Golden Rule challenges us to go beyond refraining from harm and actively engage in doing good. Jesus' teachings call us to love our enemies and lend without expecting anything in return, reflecting God's unconditional love. This radical love invites us to move beyond transactional relationships and embody the values of the Kingdom of God. It is a call to live out a higher standard of love, compassion, and kindness that transcends cultural norms and expectations. By doing so, we reflect the character of God in our lives and become agents of His love in the world. [19:07]

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil." (Luke 6:35, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a relationship in your life that feels transactional. How can you transform it into one of genuine love and generosity this week?

Day 3: Kindness as a Transformative Force

Kindness is not just a nicety but a transformative force that can heal divisions and foster unity. Through examples like Mr. Rogers and Mary Burson, we see how kindness and empathy can be lived out in everyday interactions, even in challenging circumstances. This requires intentionality and a commitment to growing in faith. Kindness has the power to change hearts and minds, to break down barriers, and to create a culture of love and respect. It is a call to action to be intentional in our interactions, to choose empathy over indifference, and to let our faith guide us in acts of kindness. [25:38]

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a recent interaction where you could have shown more kindness. How can you approach similar situations differently in the future?

Day 4: The Countercultural Call to Love

The teachings of Jesus are countercultural, calling us to a higher standard of love, compassion, and kindness. We are challenged to love our enemies and give without expecting anything in return, reflecting the character of God in our lives. This call requires us to move beyond cultural norms and embody the values of the Kingdom of God. It is a radical invitation to live differently, to prioritize love over judgment, and to let our actions be a testament to the transformative power of God's love. [23:07]

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a cultural norm that conflicts with Jesus' teachings on love. How can you actively choose to embody the values of the Kingdom of God in this area?

Day 5: Modeling Kindness in a Divided World

In a world often marked by division and hostility, we are called to model kindness and understanding, even when our leaders may not. By embodying these values, we can foster a culture of love and respect, becoming known as individuals and a community that exemplifies kindness and unconditional love. This call to kindness is not just for our benefit but for the benefit of the entire community. It is an invitation to be a light in the darkness, to lead by example, and to inspire others to follow the path of love and compassion. [42:36]

"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16, ESV)

Reflection: How can you be a model of kindness and understanding in your community this week, especially in situations where division and hostility are present?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we embarked on a new series titled "Do Unto Others," which challenges us to confront the spiritual consequences of societal divisions and to foster a community of kindness and compassion. We began by reflecting on the fact that over 99% of our DNA is shared among all humans, emphasizing our inherent kinship. This shared humanity calls us to create a "purple space," a metaphorical place where we can transcend our differences and engage in acts of extravagant kindness and goodness.

The central theme of our discussion was the Golden Rule, a principle that extends beyond mere avoidance of harm to actively doing good and setting a positive standard for our interactions. Jesus' teachings challenge us to love our enemies and to lend without expecting anything in return, reflecting God's unconditional love for all, even those society might deem unworthy. This radical love is a call to move beyond transactional relationships and to embody the values of the Kingdom of God, which are countercultural and demand a higher standard of love, compassion, and kindness.

We explored the idea that kindness is not just a nicety but a transformative force that can heal divisions and foster unity. Through the examples of figures like Mr. Rogers and Mary Burson, we saw how kindness and empathy can be lived out in everyday interactions, even in challenging circumstances. These examples remind us that kindness requires intentionality and a commitment to growing in faith.

As we navigate a world often marked by division and hostility, we are called to model kindness and understanding, even when our leaders may not. This call to kindness is not just for our benefit but for the benefit of the entire community, as it fosters a culture of love and respect. We are encouraged to reflect on our own lives and consider how we can embody these values, becoming known as individuals and a community that exemplifies kindness and unconditional love.

Key Takeaways

1. CIQ7ngdH8&t=107s'>[01:47]
2. The Golden Rule's Depth: The Golden Rule challenges us to go beyond refraining from harm and actively engage in doing good. Jesus' teachings call us to love our enemies and lend without expecting anything in return, reflecting God's unconditional love. This radical love invites us to move beyond transactional relationships and embody the values of the Kingdom of God.

3. Kindness as a Transformative Force: Kindness is not just a nicety but a transformative force that can heal divisions and foster unity. Through examples like Mr. Rogers and Mary Burson, we see how kindness and empathy can be lived out in everyday interactions, even in challenging circumstances. This requires intentionality and a commitment to growing in faith.

4. Countercultural Call to Love: The teachings of Jesus are countercultural, calling us to a higher standard of love, compassion, and kindness. We are challenged to love our enemies and give without expecting anything in return, reflecting the character of God in our lives. This call requires us to move beyond cultural norms and embody the values of the Kingdom of God.

5. Modeling Kindness in a Divided World: In a world often marked by division and hostility, we are called to model kindness and understanding, even when our leaders may not. By embodying these values, we can foster a culture of love and respect, becoming known as individuals and a community that exemplifies kindness and unconditional love.

** [01:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:47] - Shared Humanity and Kinship
[02:38] - Creating a Purple Space
[04:53] - Kindness Revolution
[19:07] - The Golden Rule's Depth
[20:04] - Radical Love and Mercy
[21:48] - Jesus' Presence in Our Lives
[22:31] - Kingdom Values
[23:07] - Countercultural Call to Love
[25:38] - Kindness as a Transformative Force
[28:07] - Political Examples of Kindness
[31:05] - Mary Burson's Example
[36:45] - Growing in Faith
[40:37] - Leaders and Kindness
[42:36] - Modeling Kindness in a Divided World
[46:36] - Closing and Prayer Time

Sermon Clips

We begin this bold and brave worship series in which we face the spiritual consequences of the divisions in our society. Thank you. Did you know that more than... 99 % of our DNA is the same from one human to another? This surely makes us kin. And the word kindness originally developed from the root word that meant family. [00:01:47]

The golden rule that we heard David speak so beautifully today from the gospel of Luke challenges us to engage in conversation it challenges us to create whatever common good we can with our relatives friends and neighbors who we might consider on the other side whether it be politically or theologically or ideologically. [00:16:10]

It's not just about refraining from negative behavior, but actively doing good and setting a positive standard for interactions with others. Jesus talks about loving our enemies, and he extends the command to love beyond what is natural or expected. Loving those who love you, we can do that. [00:18:55]

But this radical love that Jesus has for us, we can do it. What Jesus is sharing with us and demonstrating for us and calling us to is going well beyond the norms of reciprocal relationships. It reflects God's love, which is unconditional and given to everyone, even those who our society might deem unworthy. [00:19:34]

The mercy of God is a standard for the behavior of those who follow Christ. We're called to reflect God's character in our interaction with other people. All interactions. Not just with people we love. Those interactions we have when we're behind the steering wheel and someone cuts us off in traffic. [00:20:52]

This passage is calling us to kingdom values, and it teaches the values of the kingdom of God that we're trying to create on earth, that we hear, that we speak of every time we pray the Lord's Prayer. And sometimes, you know, people say, well, why do you even need to go to church? [00:22:11]

Jesus is calling us to move from living in the world to living in the world. out of transactional relationships and living into a way that love and kindness are given freely, mirroring God's grace and humility to all of humanity. We are called to a higher standard of love and mercy. We are called. [00:23:33]

He demonstrated unconditional love, compassion, and kindness as a way of being. He cared about the intrinsic worth of every single person, and he held a deep conviction of the intrinsic worth of every person. He made a personal connection with people. He was all about peace. [00:25:48]

I watched Mary smile and greet every single person that came into that room. I watched her listen to them and demonstrate empathy to them for how... how hard they were working, and how hard it was in the emergency room that day. I watched her speak with everyone with kindness, and share, and laugh, and make a connection. [00:34:15]

being kind is easy and it's hard being shown kindness is something we all long for we always want to receive the benefit of the doubt we always want to be given a second chance we always want to be forgiven and we always hope that people assume positive intention on our part am i am i right you yeah don't we all long for that [00:38:59]

It may not happen, but what might happen if we, the people, the people who are electing various people into various offices, are willing to do this first, to model kindness? Maybe that's just what the leaders of our country need, is for the people to model kindness. [00:42:04]

So the challenge is out there for all of us this week to start, or to re -up our commitment to be even more kind than you already are. I have a couple of challenging questions for you, and I'm giving to these to you out of kindness, to challenge yourself. [00:42:56]

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