LEAD ON PURPOSE
Growing up in the South, certain activities naturally brought people together. I remember the large yellow ribbons that hung on my neighbors’ front porches to show their support for the troops who were fighting in Iraq. My uncle served in the U.S. Army in Kuwait, so whenever I saw those ribbons, I felt as if the country stood with our family and that people cared. The ribbons were a kind gesture.
The Olympics also united us. As a kid, I thought the games were fun, something that brought the entire world together for healthy competition and celebration. We would gather around our televisions and cheer on the athletes. At the Olympics and in our celebrations, people were more kind then than today.
Whenever we were out and about, people tended to be generally hospitable when in public. We opened doors for someone whose hands were full, we greeted each other at the grocery store, and at times we let someone turn first at a four-way stop, even if we got there before them. Strangers were kind.
It was in this environment that I always looked forward to the holidays, because the sounds of Christmas tunes in a public place generally meant that people would up their hospitality a notch. Children would receive candy, fruit and hot chocolate at random moments. People expressed kindness to one another.
But when I think about leadership today, and the examples set by influencers, politicians, entertainers, news anchors and reality television stars, kindness is one word
that does not come to mind. Kindness unfortunately seems innovative in a society where people can’t seem to speak nicely about anyone or anything. In the public square, sound bites replace nuance, and every discussion is a debate. Fighting is the norm, and hostility is what goes viral.
When I was young, something like a pandemic would have made communities come together. We would consider the needs of our neighbors, ask if they were OK, take them a home-cooked meal if they were ill or watch their kids for a couple hours if they got delayed at work. In a society where kindness prevails, wearing a mask during a global pandemic would seem a simple ask and a sure action.
That was before the internet analyzed what and who was important to listen to, before everyone got their own opinionated news stations, before our hands became glued to our phones and before we backed out of our driveways without so much as a wave goodbye.
This toxic environment has also infiltrated the church. We are divided not just by justice and race-related issues, but also politically to the point of vilifying in public someone who holds a differing opinion. We tend to judge others who do not draw the same theological or political conclusions that we do. This is a poor witness to a watching world.
We are no longer a society of diplomatic people, but we can change that if we are kind to one another. The apostle Paul says that God is right, patient and kind to people. And God’s kindness is intended to lead us to repentance (Rom. 2:4). Want to lead well right now? Choose kindness.