Showing Kindness

The widow in Luke 7 was in a desperate situation. She had lost her husband, and now her only son was dead. The crowd surrounding her would soon return home, and she would be alone with her grief. When Jesus saw her, he was moved. He comforted her and raised her son from the dead.

Sometimes we see people who are vulnerable, bereaved, hungry, displaced, or disadvantaged. Do we pay attention or turn away? As followers of Jesus, we must not be cruel in an already cruel world. Like Christ, we must be moved by the pain of others. We are called to bring compassion and empathy to the world.

We can get stuck in our seemingly perfect worlds. It is easy to think we are more careful, more disciplined, more religious, or more intelligent than those who are less fortunate. We may be tempted not to care about others’ problems. But this is a narrow-minded attitude. As Christians, we can show kindness, shining the light of Christ for the world to see. We must make the world a better place by reaching out to others with compassion. The opportunity to show kindness to others is always there.