Day 5 Fruit of the Spirit - KINDNESS

Colossians 3: 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Is it by some strange pure chance

That we are named as humankind?

Or is it your intention Lord, 

That through your way of life we find,

A shared existence, and there see 

Each other’s needs, love’s ties to bind?

And is it in your chosen plan, 

 That we should meet and herein stay;

Receive your loving fruit, kindness.

Modelled in your  Spirit’s way;

The fruit so freely offered here 

 And hence through grace, some fear allay.

How deep is your compassion, Lord,
So dearly loved; that here we stand,

Attired, clothed as your people,

As loving will had always planned.

Oh holy fruitful Spirit come

In me, your  Chesed* love expand.

* Chesed is a Hebrew word. In its positive sense, the word is used of kindness or love between people, of piety of people towards God as well as of love or mercy of God towards humanity. 

The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But the good Samaritan reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"

- Martin Luther King Jr.