Meditation: "Be kind."
Animals: Tradition - Philosophy - Religion Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Stephen Kaufman, M.D., Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

Meditation: "Be kind."

The following quote has been attributed to the Greek philosopher Philo: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is carrying a heavy burden.”

All of us have been wounded by life. To varying degrees – sometimes markedly varying degrees – we have all experienced losses and disappointments. These wounds often make it hard to show love and compassion. Similarly, we all have fears and frustrations that can impair our judgments and can harden our hearts.

Consequently, when we interact with unpleasant people who strike us as obnoxious or mean, I think we should give them the benefit of the doubt and regard them with love and compassion and treat them kindly and respectfully. Such kindness and respect is not the same as trust, since some people can be dangerous. Similarly, we should not countenance their hurting other individuals, however much compassion we have for the wounds that instigated hurtful behavior. If our actions come from a place of love and compassion rather than anger and retribution, our actions are much more likely to reflect Christ’s love and, I think, to make the world a better place.

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Go on to: Essay: What Is Evil? part 1
Return to: Reflection on the Lectionary, Table of Contents 

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