“Humane Kindness is the unifying thread that runs through every healthy relationship, team, culture, or nation; Make sure it’s running through yours.” ~LMB
Regardless of your faith, political affiliation, race, gender, or (fill in the blank), at your core, you share one thing with everyone on this planet—your humanity. The sentiment of Humane Kindness is spoken about from every corner of the earth by every priest, pastor, rabbi, and spiritual guide worldwide. No matter what your political beliefs, fears, hardships, trials, or tribulations, kindness is the universal theme running through all religions or spiritual teachings:
- Buddhism: Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. – The Buddha, Udana-Varga 5.18
- Hinduism: This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you. – Mahabharata 5:1517
- Judaism: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. – Leviticus 19.18
- Christianity: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12
Somewhere along the way, leaders in governments, churches, and nations have forgotten this most basic principle—as have many of those they lead. Neither Jesus, Buddha, nor rabbis ever preached:
- “Love thy neighbor—unless you disagree with them.”
- “Turn the other cheek—unless they don’t have citizenship—then you should swear at, call them names, and spew hate at them on the street, at rallies, or in stores.”
- “Love your neighbor as yourself—but only when they look like, vote like, and hold the same beliefs as you.”
- “Help those in need (i.e., California fires)—IF—they bow down to your demands—and you gain something by helping them.”
The Webster dictionary defines kindness as “the capacity for feeling another’s unhappiness or misfortune. Sympathetic concern for the well-being of others; an act of kind assistance.”
The recent significant upheaval from the United States government impacts countless individuals, families, teams, and entire departments. Regardless of your political beliefs, remember to be kind. People are losing their jobs, family members (via deportation), medical freedoms, and more. Be kind. Remember humanity.
Stand with those who firmly and undeniably say with their words and actions, “Harm to others is not okay—not on my watch.” Those are your people.
Humanity divided harms all of humanity—regardless of whether those divides are political, religious, racial, or (fill in the blank). Differences are healthy and normal aspects of humanity; however, when those differences turn to hate, aggression, and divisiveness, they harm all of us. Don’t normalize, justify, or condone hate, aggression, or harm toward anyone.
Raise the bar.
Challenge: As the United States braces for the impact of many executive orders that will affect countless people in the US and around the world, remember your shared humanity. Raise the bar on how we treat one another and refuse to lower the bar for anyone when it comes to Humane Kindness.
