"People all over the world are hungry for peace of mind, for finding solutions to their problems, for finding ways to improve their relationships with others, and for finding meaningful ways of life. A loving and generous kindness can certainly make a difference. Kindness, a precious God-given gift to us, is one of the sweet expressions of love.
"Giving, not because we have to, but for the sheer sake of giving, just out of love, is something really beautiful — out of this world! This kind of gratuitous goodness — a lavish kindness — makes our world a better place in which to live, and makes us better people.
"Everyone benefits from kindness. We are so deeply touched by it that we are transformed. In the holy of holies of our being, we feel connected, centered, involved, engaged, and deeply bonded to others, regardless of our divisions due to ideology, religion, race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, economic status, or other factors. After all, we are all made of flesh, bones, and blood. We belong to one human family. We all have the same basic needs. We are one. We are whole. We are human together. We are in the same boat of destiny.
"We cannot be but kind together and to each other. This is written in our very nature and clearly stated in our Scripture. 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.' (Lk 10:27) Love is the foundation of our very survival.
"Kindness means empathy, true intimacy, encouragement, admiration, service, understanding, genuineness, concern, truth, trust, and all that makes us true images of God. The earnest desire to conform ourselves to the image of God and to Jesus Christ will make bitterness, cunningness, and lies disappear. The very attempt to be like Jesus and to see Jesus in every person we meet is already a source of sweetness that flows from our very being to all those who come our way. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: 'Be the living expression of God's kindness — kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.'"
