About

Kindness is a central tenet in every major religion.

  • Judaism: What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor.
  • Islam: Love for your brother what you love for yourself.
  • Hinduism: Do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.
  • Buddhism: Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.

As a confirmed member of both the Episcopal & Roman Catholic Churches, Christianity has guided me throughout my life. My favorite teaching of Jesus is this parable:

The Sheep and the Goats

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Matthew 25:31-45 (NIV)

I like that parable because it calls for action. Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. House the homeless. It makes kindness a verb. The apostle James wrote that faith without works is dead.

My idea, as I build this website and get ready to begin posting, is to focus on kindness. Specifically:

  • I want to write a positive blog. 
  • I want to write about what inspires me to write this blog.
  • I want to share stories that are uplifting, that teach the value of kindness.
  • I want to highlight charities that best put Jesus’ parable and James’ admonition into practice.
  • I want to write about seeing ourselves as WE, instead of US and THEM.
  • I want to write about public policy and how it often separates us into US and THEM. 

I don’t want this to be a political blog. But our laws are written by politicians. I hope to be a voice that injects kindness into political debate, by debating that kindness should shape public policy. 

Thanks for reading.

Peace!