Be Kind -- Everyone Is Fighting A Hard Battle
Q: "Peace on Earth" -- really? There's so much conflict in our world (and nation), I'm beginning to wonder if that's even possible. I want to be kind and sensitive to others while teaching my kids to do the same. But I also find myself cynically wondering if it even matters. What are your thoughts?
Jim: I can understand your reservations, at least to some extent. Your question makes me think of a popular quote that's been attributed to a number of people, but actually traces to Reverend John Watson, a Scottish author and theologian who lived the majority of his life during the second half of the 19th century.
In 1897, Reverend Watson was invited by the popular religious newspaper The British Weekly to submit a Christmas message. Using his pen name "Ian MacLaren," he responded with a single sentence:
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
At the time, the paper editorialized and said, "No message is more needed in our days of stress and storm, of selfish striving and merciless competition." Remember -- this was 127 years ago!
We can too easily romanticize the past, especially the times in which we've never lived, and think things were close to ideal back then compared to the modern challenges of today. But reality is often otherwise.
Of course, every era has its own challenges. I think this is what led the writer of Ecclesiastes to poetically state: "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun" (1:9).
With that in mind, I believe it's good to remind ourselves that things are not always as they seem on the surface. The neighbor you wave to each day may have just received unfavorable medical test results or lost a close family member. A co-worker who comes to work each morning with a smile on their face may very well be dealing with a wayward child or struggling in their marriage. That person in line ahead of you at the store or airport could be dealing with a lifetime of hidden pain.
A city of a million people has a million stories, because "... everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
The Christmas season, with all its overt and implied merriment, can nonetheless be a very challenging time of year for hurts of the heart. So, I would encourage you to always make the effort to reach out in kindness -- even (and especially) when it doesn't seem like it will matter.
Meanwhile, don't forget the context of those words "peace on Earth, goodwill to men." They're pivotal in the true story of Christmas. And the world-changing message is this: At a specific time, in a specific place, our Creator stepped into the middle of our human mess with the answer to all our troubles and conflicts. In our limited smallness, we can't fix those things ourselves. But He can. Our role is to point others to Him, and that starts with kindness.
Christmas provides us with opportunities to extend an extra measure of kindness. It doesn't have to be fancy or significant. It's the thought that counts. As the world seems to grow colder and more coarse with each passing day, a kind response can provide the antidote and balm to help soothe the friction we encounter.
So, remember this quote. "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
Finally, maybe that someone is YOU. We have a staff of caring people (including professional counselors) available to listen and help; see FocusOnTheFamily.com or call 800-A-FAMILY (800-232-6459).
May God bless you and your loved ones this Christmas.
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Jim Daly is a husband and father, an author, and president of Focus on the Family and host of the Focus on the Family radio program. Catch up with him at jimdalyblog.focusonthefamily.com or at Facebook.com/JimDalyFocus.
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