Monday, August 16, 2010

Random acts of kindness - really??

"Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty." This quote (bumpersticker/fb sticker/etc) has always irritated me. It sounds good on the surface. But I don't want to practice random acts of kindness. As a Christian I should long to practice consistent, meaningful, acts of kindness. Not for my own "I'm OK because I do something good once in a while" emotion. In quiet, humble, often unseen ways I want to practice consistent kindness because I am NOT good. In spite of my selfish, glory-seeking deceitful heart I want to be kind to others because Christ has showered kindness and mercy and love and grace on me anyway. I want my acts of kindness to be so natural and numerous that people don't even notice them because they come from the heart of God, not from my own desire to feel better about myself.

And "senseless acts of beauty"? Really? Are there such things as "sense"less acts of beauty? Can beauty be seen or appreciated without using senses? Doesn't the Creator Himself use all senses to show us the organized order of beauty such as the stars in the universe and petals on a flower?  Or if by senseless you mean without a purpose or no real depth (or even foolish), then are they beautiful?

Now before you jump and say I am too harshly criticizing this quote, I will say it for you. Yes, I am being overly critical of probably what started out as a simple off-the-cuff well-intentioned remark. But the reason this quote rubs me is because I often follow it myself. My acts of kindness are often self-seeking and random rather than Christ-glorifying and consistent. Acts of beauty on my part are often senseless, meaningless, and probably pretty far from being beautiful in the eyes of the One who created true beauty. I think that's the real problem I have with this bumper sticker. It sticks too close to my own heart.

3 comments:

Scott said...

Wow...I never stopped to think about it before. Great thoughts...thanks for sharing! ~Leslie

Renee said...

Awesome post Faye! Nothing God does is random He is an intentional God...as we should also be for His glory. Thanks for the great reminder...kinda reminds me of the other quote that began with a movie..."Pay it Forward", see it everywhere and it irritates me, because of the ideology & philosophy behind it.

Megan said...

Yes. Yes and yes. Thank you, Faye. Well-said. Love you, Megan