"When the apostle Paul says, “Charity
suffereth long, and is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4), he’s not just talking about
being nice and wearing smiley-face buttons. He’s talking about the core of the
disciple’s life. Kindness without love is not kindness at all. It’s patronage,
it’s condescension, it’s smugness and superiority. If you have been the
recipient of this species of “kindness,” you know that you would much rather do
without it. But with love, kindness is refreshment and rejoicing. It
strengthens bonds and creates new ones. And it’s a tough, patient virtue, not a
frilly, fluffy one."
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