By Dr. Dennis Merritt Jones
Authentic Kindness Matters
Your act of kindness could be the bridge that another person needs at that moment to get him or her through the day.
Above and beyond the pandemic the current state of political polarization we are feeling as a nation has me thinking a lot about how we, as human beings, have much to learn about coexisting together—not just as neighbors and fellow Americans but as passengers on this ever-shrinking planet. Our differences are so vast in so many ways; even without a pandemic, between cultural values and traditions, religions, politics, and so on, we can feel very isolated. Kindness, which I also think of as generosity of spirit, can be the bridge that connects us because it is something to which every human being on the planet can relate. We all understand an act of kindness when we see it because it supersedes any language, religious, or cultural gap. In that regard, we can think of kindness as a universal language we all can speak—with our actions.
The ancient philosopher Philo of Alexandria (20 BC–50 AD) said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” It seems some things in the human realm never change, and the normal tendency in tough times may be to withdraw from others because we are so consumed by our own fears, concerns, and problems. However, when we withdraw, that’s when a sense of isolation comes flooding in. And yet if we consider it, a simple act of kindness to another can instantly reconnect him (and us) to life in ways we may never know. Just think about that. Your act could be the bridge that another person needs at that moment to get him or her through the day. And irrespective of how simple you may think it is, there’s no such thing as a trivial act of kindness. That’s the empowering thing about generosity of spirit—when we receive kindness, it naturally inspires us to extend it to others. As idealistic as it may sound, perhaps through kindness you might just be the one to change the world; the ripple effect moves energy in amazing ways. It could be while standing in line at the grocery store by inviting the person behind you to go ahead of you; it might be by holding a door open for someone; it could be as simple as wearing a mask or bringing your neighbor’s trash can in from the curb. The energy of that one act may spill over into more lives than you might imagine.
Any way you slice it, a deeper experience of kindness is what we all inherently need and desire right now. We are hard-wired for kindness because it is in our spiritual DNA to treat one another with reverence—with an authentic generosity of spirit that comes with the awareness there is only One of us here. We just have to be mindful of the spiritual beings we are, and the acts of kindness will follow with grace and ease, not because we should express kindness, but because we can. Be a bridge to a better place for others. Now, more than ever, authentic kindness matters.
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