“Kindness is my superpower.” I saw those words on the t-shirt of a child. As superpowers go, kindness is a really good one. Do you take time to be kind? It takes time. When is the best time?
As he settled into his role as King of Israel, David wondered if he might show kindness to Saul’s household. This thought opposed all the rules of kings in those days. When a new dynasty emerged, the order of the day was to annihilate all the heirs of the former king so that they could not lay claim to the throne. Suffice it to say, that David’s relationship with his predecessor was complicated. Particularly, the crown prince Jonathan, became David’s best friend and protected him even against his own father, Saul.
Remember most of Saul’s family died in his last battle. Amazingly, David discovered Jonathan had a surviving son who had special needs. David reached out to Mephibosheth’s servant Ziba and offered to care for both of them in his own house. Mephibosheth ate at David’s table. Who was blessed more, David or Mephibosheth? It would be hard to calculate.
All around us are people who have no claim on our kindness. What an opportunity! Since they least expect it, we can show kindness at any time. The signature on my friend’s email caught my attention: “Be kind when you can, which is always.” Her life authenticates her message. Like our Savior, she is consistently kind. I know she blesses others. But I suspect the greater blessing flows back to her. Kindness is one of God’s many superpowers. He shares it with us to share with others. When? Always.
