She was brought to trial and fined $500—for putting money in other people’s expired parking meters.
Before arresting her, an officer had warned the 63-year-old grandmother of 10 that she was guilty of breaking an obscure city ordinance.
Sylvia quickly became a local folk hero in the Cincinnati area. To help with her legal defense fund, one group printed up t-shirts that read, "Sylvia Stayton ...guilty of kindness."
It may not been as dramatic as that, but have you ever been accused of kindness?
Someone once said, "All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action." Lately we’ve had several instances of people who have been guilty of kindness: the anonymous donor who made sure our Family Life Building received a badly-needed coat of paint; the nameless person who replaced our United States and Christian flags in our sanctuary; the individuals who made sure that a flute was refurbished for a deserving young
lady; and the unknown person who left vegetables on my car; and countless other
examples.
But kindness does not have to be anonymous. In fact, there are many face-to-face opportunities presented to us every day. The way we interact with people in those encounters, through email, over the phone or any other way reveals a lot about who we are and the Christ we love. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:12, "…clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience."
In the week in front of you, can you think of some opportunity which might allow you to demonstrate an unusual degree of kindness toward someone else? Will you help someone who cannot help themselves? Will you be Christ-like toward someone who is doing his best to make your day difficult?
So I ask again: have you ever been accused of kindness?
Was there enough evidence to convict?
–Rocky Henriques
You may be sorry that you spoke,
Sorry you stayed or went,
Sorry you won or lost,
Perhaps sorry so much was spent.
But as you go through life, you’ll find
You’re never sorry you were kind.