Leon Logothetis is the founder of The Kindness Diaries, which has aired on Netflix. He used to be a stockbroker in London but gave it all up to conduct a hands-on humanity experiment of kindness. Leon left “home” to travel around the world showing kindness to others while relying on the kindness of others, too.
During his season one trip, he asked a man named Tony for some help for the night. Tony told him he’d love to but… he’s homeless. However, that didn’t stop Tony from inviting him to stay the night with him on the porch of an abandoned building. Tony didn’t know that Leon had plans of blessing him because of his act of kindness. At the end of the season, Leon helped Tony with a house and paid for his college so that he could fulfill a lifelong dream of being a chef. Today, Tony’s life is a walking testimony of the power of kindness.
Jesus also had a similar mission: to come to earth to inspire people to live to serve. By loving one another, God’s creation would find the most fulfilling peace possible to mankind. Yet, even in Jesus’ ministry, not everyone responded with kindness. How would He respond? Kindness!
Jesus said in Matthew 5:46-48, “If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
We’ve been called to a higher standard. Modeled by the Creator Himself. Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” When kindness is part of every action we engage in, the world will know (Matthew 5:16); even if their motives aren’t pure or kind. Paul said in Romans 12:20-21, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads. Don’t let evil conquer you but conquer evil by doing good.”
His kindness was part of the way that Jesus would “set the captives free” (Isa 61), by empowering people to let go of the bitterness, jealousy, greed that seems to prevail in our lives too often. Jesus has “given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Let’s go do it!
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