“Kindness is loving people more than they deserve.”
-Joseph Joubert, moralist and essayist (1754-1824)

Hmm. At first read I had warm fuzzies. But as the gears started rolling in my head I began to wonder about those who aren’t deserving. Are there such people? What is it called when we love those people? That is what we are called to do. Love our enemies. Joubert’s definition seems too watered down for me. I want for something more powerful, like “_____ is loving people who don’t deserve it.” Would that be “grace” or “mercy”? However I choose define it that is what God has shown to me, so that’s why I want to put a finger on it because that’s what I need to be doing.

Matthew 5:7 – “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

Mercy still isn’t quite the word I’m search for because in our language it typically implies some relief from judgment. Guess I’m still struggling with clarifying my thoughts this morning. It’s like I’m trying to define that category, if it exists, between those who deserve love and those who don’t. Maybe there isn’t a category. Maybe I’m trying to see grey where there isn’t.