The Greatest Of These

The great English writer Aldous Huxley said, “people often ask me what is the most effective technique for transforming their life. It is a little embarrassing that after years and years of research and experimentation, I have to say that the best answer is—just be a little kinder.” If you were with me on Sunday, you may remember this quote.

What would it look like in my life today if I chose to be a little kinder? Letting someone with just a few items go ahead of me in line at the grocery store; giving a clerk or bank teller my undivided attention (as I would like from them) and not answering the cell phone if it rings during my transaction; being fully present in a conversation, rather than texting, watching television, or thinking about what’s for dinner.

There is also the opportunity to be a little kinder in our forgiveness work. We may see (either in this moment or in our memory) a situation that calls out for forgiveness. Can we look at the whole picture, with the entire situation, rather than just the end result?

You’ve probably seen the news reports about the shooting in Florida of a young African-American man (Trayvon Martin) by a neighborhood watch volunteer (George Zimmerman). What if we allowed ourselves to see the whole situation, and try to feel what each person felt? Often, fear makes people do strange things. At the end of the day, all we can do is forgive, but in our empathy, we can come closer to understanding. We can put ourselves in our neighbor’s place and see and feel just a little of what they might have seen and felt.

That’s why, in I Corinthians 13, Paul reminds us that “the greatest of these is love.”