THE MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS

 THE MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS

 It has often been said that kindness is a virtue, but not everyone would necessarily agree.  This calls to mind William Shakespeare’s play, “Macbeth,” in which Lady Macbeth complains that her husband is “too full of the milk of human kindness” to kill off his rivals.  In fact, some might consider kindness to be synonymous with weakness.  It is not.  Kindness reflects its own unique brand of strength.

 One wonderful example of this benevolent trait is the British statesman, Cecil Rhodes, whose fortune was used to endow the world-famous Rhodes Scholarships.  Rhodes was a stickler for correct dress, but apparently not at the expense of someone else’s feelings.  A young man who had been invited to dine with Rhodes arrived late by train and circumstance forced him to go directly to Rhodes’s home in his wrinkled and shabby travel clothes. Once there, he was utterly appalled to find that the other guests had arrived wearing full evening dress.  After what seemed like a long time, Rhodes appeared in an old, worn-looking, every day suit.  Later, the young man learned that his host had been originally dressed in fine evening clothes, but put on that old suit when he learned of his guest's dilemma.  Rhodes was far more concerned with the young man’s comfort than bent on impressing the crowd.  Now that’s kindness!

 According to Alexander Maclaren, kindness actually makes anyone far more attractive.  He wrote, “If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.”  I once read that the English playwright, Somerset Maughan, had a mother who was extraordinarily beautiful.  But she opted to marry his father, whom some quite rudely described as extraordinarily ugly.  When a close family friend inquired as to why Mrs. Maughan had chosen such an unlikely suitor, her response came quickly and confidently: “He has never once hurt my feelings!”  In truth, kindness is both handsome and beautiful!

 Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!