When Holiday Inn was kind...

 

“Kindness is a readiness to do good, to help, to relieve burdens, to be useful, to serve, to be tender, and to be sympathetic to others. It has been said,

‘Kindness is love in work clothes’.” Alexander Strauch

 
Was this your experience? One of our children had a special blanket that they couldn’t sleep without. I remembered that when I read recently of a toddler who left his beloved toy behind at a Holiday Inn Express in Richmond, Virginia. Wonderfully, that’s only the first chapter in this story.
  The family contacted the hotel and the employees helped reunite the little guy with his beloved plush toy, a little dog. The four-year-old was traveling with his family when they stopped to stay at the Holiday Inn Express. After departing, the family realized their son had left his stuffed animal toy behind. Those Holiday Inn employees were so kind. Not only were they quick to find the missing toy and promised to ship it to the family as soon as possible, they went the extra mile. They took that stuffed animal around the hotel, placed it in various spots and snapped pictures. One shows the animal getting some work done on a hotel computer. Another of the animal greeting guests in the lobby — with employees noting that he was “the star of the show.” They even took the toy to the hotel fitness room where he sat on the seat of an exercise bike. 
  The dad of the toddler, named Michael, said in a media statement that the pictures the hotel employees took helped ease the pain of the missing toy. “He was really upset that it was missing, as it’s one of his favorite toys. He was so happy to see how much fun his snuggle puppy was having and wanted me to read it over and over so everyone could hear.”
  It takes so little to be so kind. Yet, when we are kind, we are so like Jesus.
  A current cultural phenomena are Swifties – fans of Taylor Swift and considered one of the largest, most devoted fanbases. They’re known for their high levels of participation, creativity, community, and fanaticism and are the focus of widespread coverage by the media. With her fame, it’s not hard to be kind to a Taylor Swift. Everyone wants to be near a celebrity.
  While most of us don’t interact with celebrities, we are easily focused on the powerful, wealthy, popular, talented and attractive…even in the Church. They’re the ones that we go out of our way to be kind to, but that’s not Jesus. Our Lord was kind to everyone…the rejects, the nobodies, the social outcasts…sometimes people like me and you. As His followers that’s who we’re to be kind to – EVERYONE.
  Jesus was kind to lepers who were the outcasts of His day. Because of the contagiousness of their disease, they were isolated and “untouchable.” Not only was Jesus kind to them, He broke social etiquette by touching and healing them.
  Would you be willing to dine with a gang banger, a known drug dealer? Zacchaeus may not have been a convicted criminal, but in the eyes of the Jews, he might as well have been. In Jesus’ day, tax collectors abused their power to legally steal as government agents, but Jesus asked to have lunch with him.
  Xenophobia is a big problem in our world, but it’s not new. In John 4, Jesus not only talked to a Samaritan woman, He asked her for a favor, for a drink of water. Jesus broke all the societal boundaries and demonstrated for us that kindness is to be universal.
  Jesus was not only kind, but He also forgave those who betrayed and crucified Him. He knew Judas was going to betray Him yet hours before that Jesus washed Judas’ feet.
  Forgiving those who’ve wronged us is one of the greatest acts of kindness you can do. Forgiveness, more than any other act, shows we truly know the Forgiver of our souls. It’s not easy. Yet, as those who have been forgiven an unpayable debt, it’s what we’re commanded to do (Ephesians 4:31-32).
  God has called us to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). BUT God has never called us to be hateful or unkind. The Lord Jesus died for the sins we find the most repulsive. There are many moral and social problems today. While the sin is wrong, those who commit them are victims of the Enemy (Satan), not our enemy. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world” (no one is excluded). As Christ-followers, we’re to be kind to those who humanly we might shun. We’re called to live out Jesus’ supernatural love.
  If we’re going to be Jesus to our world, we must show His love to the victims of sexual sin from adulterers to pedophiles…and everything in between. If we’re going to be Jesus to our world, we must show His love to abortionists and murderers…and everything in between. If we’re going to be Jesus to our world, we must show His love to those who are atheists and Islamic radicals…and everything in between. If we’re going to be Jesus to our world, we must show His love to those on the extreme right politically and to those on the extreme left politically, and the ones in the middle.
  When someone is arrested, no matter what the crime, the Christ-follower should be one of the first to reach out to them. When someone is going through a divorce, the Christ-follower should be one of the first to show grace to both parties. When someone has been fired, the Christ-follower should be one of the first ones reaching out and encouraging them.
  Our world slights and ignores the poor, the obese, the mentally ill, the homeless, alcoholics, addicts and even smokers. We can’t do that! We are commanded to show Christ’s love to them.
  I’ve now been the pastor at Grace for over 35 years. Over the course of those years, I’ve angered a few people. From my perspective, some have badly mistreated me and our church. Am I tempted to give in to anger and bitterness? Yes, but it would be wrong and a sin. By God’s grace, I seek to live out Romans 12:14-21. I pray for them and ask the Lord to love them through me. It’s not always easy yet we’re not called to do what’s easy. We’re to do what is right! As someone who has been forgiven so much, it would be so evil to hold back what I have been so undeservingly given. My adopted Dad often said, “I’ve never regretted being too kind.” I try to live by that. I too have never regretted being too kind and you won’t either.

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