You Can't Fake That

Did you know that the word 'nice' originated from the Latin word for ignorant?!  'Nice' comes from 'nescius' which means "not to know" or "not knowing".  I have officially decided that I do not want to be known as "the nice girl" anymore... it's kind of like being known as "the idiot"!  I mean, really, 'nice' is very often just another way of saying that you let people walk all over you.

No... I'd much rather be known for being kind.  Nice-ness can be faked... Like when you smile and shake hands with your ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend when what you'd really like to be doing is running the other direction.  Kindness can't be faked; it's a disposition rather than an action.  And as such, kindness is strong; it's superhuman, really.  It takes divine empowerment to know an ungrateful reaction may be coming your way and still choose to be kind anyway.  You can't fake that.  Kindness shapes your character in such a way that you are able to be "profitable, fit, good for any use, useful toward others, good-natured" (part of one definition of the word 'kind').  It is a sort of grace that flows in and through you to the people around you.  You can't fake that, either.

Perhaps the greatest thing about kindness, though, is that it looks pain in the face.  Take the story of the Good Samaritan for example: A man is robbed and beaten and left on the side of the road.  The first two men to come along cross to the other side and ignore him.  They see pain and look away.  The third man, the "Good Samaritan", stops, binds the man's wounds, takes him to shelter, and pays for his recovery.  That is the definition of kindness.  He sees pain and not only looks it in the face, but also chooses to be a vehicle for healing.

How often do we ignore the pain we see in the lives of others?  Whether it's a friend or a complete stranger, one of the greatest gifts we can give is to choose to see and acknowledge their pain.  We may not be able to fix it, but we can listen as they talk about it.  We can choose not to run away, but simply to be present, to show that we are there for them.

For the last month or so I have been helping my friend Jeremy get a non-profit organization started.  I've chosen to get involved because Jeremy's vision is for an organization that is focused on looking pain in the face.  Project B provides opportunity for college students and the homeless to interact with each other.  The point of these interactions?  To break down stereotypes surrounding homelessness and influence a generation to see pain and do something about it.  This is about more than being nice.  It's about more than just shoving a dollar in a cup as you pass a homeless person on the street.  It's about choosing to interact, to hear the stories, to see each other as equals.  This is about kindness, about love.  We need more of that in this world, and I'm excited to be a part of making that happen.

If you'd like to learn more about Project B, check out our website.  We'd love to have your help in getting this thing started.  No matter how you choose to do it, find a way to look pain in the face this week.  The world needs your kindness; don't turn away.