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the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,

Gentleness, and self-control . . .

If we live by the Spirit,

let us also be guided by the Spirit

Galatians 5: 22-25

© 2005 Mark Price Participant Guide 1

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KINDNESS

What does the Lord require of you but to do justice nd to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

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The Chinese character, jen, means benevolence r the essential kindness one person shows another.

Considered by Confucius to be one of the four virtues innate in humans,

the symbol combines the legs and trunk of erson and a pair of horizontal strokes denoting two.

rice Participant Guide 2

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© 2005 Mark Price Participant Guide 3

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8

the Theme Kindness is one of the most outwardly visible fruit of the Christian life, and as such is neither a state of mind nor an invisible attitude or emotion. But in a society that inhibits the cultivation of kindness or simply encourages “random acts of kindness,” are Christians likely to be known for bearing the fruit of kindness?

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DAY 1: Read 1 Samuel 20; 2 Samuel 9 (Jonathan’s and David skindness) As you read these texts from 1 and 2 Samuel, be sure to scan the intervening chapters, particularly chapter headings, to get some idea of e context for the stories of Jonathan, David, and Mephibosheth. DAY 2: Read Hosea 11:1-4 (God’s kindness toward Israel) Consider reading the whole book of Hosea or at least the introductory article preceding the book in your Bible. Note that the Hebrew word, hesed,is translated in Hosea (and in Micah 6:8) as kindness. DAY 3: Read Ephesians 2:1-4 (God’s kindness in Christ) DAY 4: Read Ephesians 4:25-32 (Our k ndness as members of one another) DAY 5: Read Chapter 6 in Life On the Vine Pay attention to Kenneson’s critique of the “random acts of kindness” idea. After reading the chapter, work through the study guide on the following pages.

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illboards with the slogan began appearing sometime in the early 1990s. Since then there have been books written about it, talk shows devoted to it and thousands

of bumper stickers promoting it. And although I don’t remember when or where I first saw a billboard with the slogan, I do remember having no idea what was being advocated. The plain black-and-white billboard simply urged: “Practice Random Acts of Kindness.”

What a powerful commentary on our society. Our lives are so filled with the pursuit of self-interest, so disconnected from one another, so void of the sense that we actually need each other, that we must create momentary connections and goodwill by practicing “random acts of kindness.” I have to confess that I remain a bit suspicious of a movement whose aim is largely to provide opportunities for us to feel good about our random beneficence. Although I certainly don’t think it’s a terrible thing to walk into a donut shop and pay for the next twenty coffees, I wonder in what sense this act is “kind.”

(Kenneson, pp. 133-134)

© 2005 Mark Price Participant Guide 4

the Study Guide Exploring the Roots of KINDNESS Read the excerpt from Kenneson’s book printed on page 4 in the participant guide. ♦

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What do you think about Kenneson’s critique of the idea of “random acts of kindness.” How do you understand the relationship between practicing “random beneficence” and bearing the Spirit’s fruit of kindness?

Consider the context of this week’s focus verse, Micah 6:8. The word translated as kindness is the Hebrew word hesed [pronounced che-sáid; the initial h sound is like the ch in Bach]. Recall that the word hesed can be translated as “love” or “lovingkindness” and throughout Scripture emphasizes especially the covenant, or steadfast love of God. ♦

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Compare and contrast what the Micah verse implies about kindness to what is meant by the phrase “random acts of kindness”?

Kenneson remarks that in Scripture God’s kindness and God’s hesed or steadfast love are often treated as synonymous (p. 136).

What does that say about how we are to understand the nature of kindness as a fruit of God’s Spirit?

Examining the Challenges of KINDNESS Character of the Fruit Recall the stories in 1 Samuel 20 and 2 Samuel 9 and go over what takes place in the course of the intervening chapters—scan the column headings in the Bible, if needed. Also see the first paragraph on page 135 in Kenneson’s book. Keep in mind that both the friendship between David and Jonathan, and David’s care for Jonathan’s son, are portrayed here as expressions of what David himself calls “the kindness of God.” ♦

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What characterizes the kindness or “lovingkindness” shared by David and Jonathan? What motivates David’s act of kindness toward Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth? What does David mean by describing his care for Mephibosheth as “the kindness of God”?

© 2005 Mark Price Participant Guide 5

Read Hosea 11:1-4. Think about what God has in mind in using the word kindness to describe his relationship to the Israelites. What is it that God does on behalf of God’s people that constitutes kindness?

Obstacles to Bearing the Fruit

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Consider Kenneson’s definition of kindness on pages 136–137: “Kindness is a particu ar manifestation of love’s other-directedness . . . kindness, at its most basic level, involves the giving and receiving o help.”

Keeping that definition in mind, think about how our culture’s promotion of self-sufficiency and personal autonomy inhibits the cultivation of kindness defined in that way. SELF-SUFFICIENCY Kenneson observes that giving and receiving one another’s acts of kindness binds us to one another, and requires us to place others in our debt and in turn be placed in their debt.

When have you received someone’s unexpected gift, or offer of hospitality, or act or kindness? How do you feel when someone offers to help you? How do you feel when you offer to help someone else? How do we learn to receive the kindness of others without viewing the need for help as a sign of weakness or inadequacy? When has a sense of indebtedness or obligation to another person made you question, resent, or avoid giving or receiving help?

AUTONOMY Kenneson suggests that our culture encourages us to “evaluate our present well-being almost exclusively in terms of our own contributions” (p. 144). With that in mind, recall Ephesians 4:25-32 and reflect on these questions:

What does Paul mean by saying “we are members of one another”? How do you respond to Kenneson’s counter-claim that “most of us regard ourselves as autonomous individuals and as members of one another only in some derived sense”?

Go To bear Fruit in the World The Scriptural image of the body of Christ is perhaps most able to counter the illusion of self-sufficiency and to nurture the mutual practice of kindness as a way of life. Think about the New Testament’s metaphor of the body of Christ. How does this image illuminate or shape your experience as a Christian? How might this image foster the practice of kindness toward others—even those who may not be professed members of the body of Christ?

© 2005 Mark Price Participant Guide 6