Try a Little Kindness

Glen Campbell released a song in 1970 with the title above.  Some of the lyrics are as follows:

…And if you try a little kindness
Then you’ll overlook the blindness
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets…

There are people who are certainly unkind due to narrow-mindedness:  racists, misogynists, and xenophobes to name a few.  People with prejudices, or irrational fears are often unkind to people to the point of treating them as less than humans.  If you are mature follower of Christ, it is my prayer that you do not fall under this category of narrow-mindedness.  Hatred of others because of their differences to us is a grievous sin, one that would cause someone to have to perform some serious soul-searching to establish his or her relationship with God.

 In contemporary society, there is an unwarranted type of unkindness shown to narrow-minded people, namely to those who follow the teachings of Jesus.  As written by John:

John 14:6–7 (NIV)

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

Some have equated the singularity of Jesus’ position as the sole way to Heaven as “narrow-minded thinking.”  Such a proposition is tantamount to asking followers of Christ to expand their thinking about the number of letters in the word “Christmas”.  To a follower of Christ, the belief that Jesus is the only way to Heaven is as sure as there are nine letters.  There is no reason for unkindness to anyone who believes that Jesus is the only way.

Followers of Christ, then should reflect the image and kindness of Christ when they interact with those who do not believe in the exclusivity statement.  We have every reason to disagree with those who believe in another way to Heaven, but never have a right to be unkind, no matter how we are treated.