Article March 22, 1975 Issue

Spiritually Impelled Kindness

PEGGY FRENCH PHIPPS

True kindness stems from an understanding of God as divine Love, and of man as Love's immediate expression. But a limited, human sense of kindness, not rooted in an understanding of God, seems dependent on one's disposition and is variable. It appears to come and go according to particular circumstances and one's own mood.

It is not always easy to be kind in the face of rudeness, unjust criticism, or the inconsiderate and thoughtless actions of another. But sometimes we harbor indignation and resentment rather than banish them through the activity of the Christ, the spiritual idea of divine Love.

How does one remain unfalteringly kind in the presence of conflict and dissension? Christian Science exposes that which makes us treat others unkindly—mortal mind, the belief in a mind separate from God. We can then mentally divorce error from others by understanding their true, sinless identity as divine Mind's idea. We can refuse to react to mortal mind by not attributing power or authority to it. Reacting to it usually results in further unhappiness, and it may take many mental wrestlings with ourselves to restore a feeling of inner peace and joy. The choice is ours to listen instead to Truth; and the sooner we begin, the better.

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