A Gift for Kindness
Romans 12:1-8[1]
We human beings are complicated creatures. Of
course that’s true physically, but that’s not what I’m talking about. We’re
“complicated” in that we all have what may be called “character assets” and
“character flaws.” In part, that’s due to the wide variety of life experiences
we’ve had. Some have been wonderful beyond all imagining. Others may have
surpassed our worst nightmares. All of it, both “good” and “not so good” has
shaped us into the person we are today. Hopefully we can appreciate the person
we are today and the way our experiences have shaped us. If we’re really lucky,
we have people in our lives who know something of our life experiences, both
the “good” and the “not so good,” and express their appreciation for the person
we are today.
To some extent, I think you could say that we
are all complicated “by design.” The Bible teaches that we are created “in the
image of God” (Gen 1:26). Through the ages there have been different ideas
about what that means. I would say that being created “in the image of God”
refers to our capacity to relate to others with the kind of love that defines
God’s very being. We all have a capacity for goodness. Whether we follow that
instinct or not is the question! But if we keep reading the book of Genesis, we
find that the story also points to the idea that we are all “fallen” creatures.
Some people would say that means we’re all equally capable of the worst evil
anyone has ever committed. I think that’s a bit harsh, with all due respect to
John Calvin. I would say being “fallen” means that we all fall short of being
the best version of ourselves at times.
It’s hard to admit that, even and especially
to ourselves. We all fall short. We can talk about it as a point of Bible
teaching easily enough. But that’s not what I’m talking about when I say it’s
hard to “admit.” I mean really acknowledging that “I” fall short. All the time.
And that’s true for all of us. We get so used to thinking that our own inner
dialogue is “normal” and “true” that we have a hard time stepping outside the
stories we tell ourselves. And that can make it hard for us to take a good look
at how we’re actually treating people. When we do, we likely find that there’s
room for improvement. At least that’s what I find when I’m able to get free
enough from my own “self” to see myself and what I’m doing more clearly.
I think this is part of what St. Paul was
getting at in our lesson from the book of Romans for today. He tells us that
when we grasp the depth of God’s love and the extent of God’s grace, we will
respond in humble and joyful worship—with everything we are and all that we do![2] Paul describes what it means to worship God with all of life by saying, “Don’t
copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a
new person by changing the way you think.” (Rom. 12:2). I would say it’s fairly
easy to recognize that the way things work in this world is broken somehow. But
I think it’s much more difficult to recognize how we may not only be taking
part in that brokenness. We also may be positively contributing to the broken way
things work in this world! That can take more humility than we can muster up
sometimes.
One of the not-so-easy-to-swallow truths of
the Bible is that when we have a genuine encounter with God, it will lead us to
the humble recognition that we share all the same problems that we see in
everyone around us. I think that may be another way to talk about what it means
to be “fallen” without making guilt the sole driving force in our religion.
It’s the simple but never easy willingness to admit that I can fall into the
same behaviors that other people do. And when we humbly recognize that, hopefully
we can learn to be more patient, more gracious, more forgiving when the people
in our lives fall short of their best selves. Just like we do.
But I think another side of this question has
to do with the “gifts” that Paul talks about. He directs this toward the idea
that we all have roles to play in the “body of Christ.” He says we’re given “gifts”
by the Spirit to build up the church as the “body of Christ.” But I’d like to
call attention to the fact that we have all been “gifted” by God in another way.
I think this relates to our creation in the “image” of God as much as it
relates to what God is doing through our gifts to build up the church. I think we
can also speak about being created in the “image” of God as a kind of giftedness
that we all share, not only with the family of faith, but also with the whole human
family. I think we can say because we’re all created in the “image” of God then
we’re all “gifted” in that way. I would venture to say that means there’s
goodness in everyone you meet. Yes, sometimes that goodness is buried under
layers of shame and fear and anger. Sometimes it may have been all but
obliterated. But I would say that we are all “gifted” with God’s “image.” That
means that, as well as having specific abilities for helping others, we’re all “gifted”
with a certain innate goodness that comes from God.
When you look at people from that perspective,
it changes the way you relate to them. When we can recognize and honor the
goodness in others as well as the “giftedness” they offer us, we’re recognizing
and honoring the fact that we all belong to one another in the “body of Christ”
(Rom. 12:5). Again, while St. Paul was primarily talking about the church, I
think there’s something to be said for applying to the whole human family this
idea that we all belong to one another in the “body of Christ.” As beloved
children of the one creator God, there is much to point us to the conclusion
that we all belong to one another.
When that’s the way we see the people around us, I think it becomes difficult not
to be able to see the goodness in them. When we can see that goodness, it’s
almost unavoidable that we will treat them with kindness and compassion.
This mindset changes the way we live, and in the
process, it can change us. It reminds me again of St. Paul talking about
letting “God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” I
think this is a very practical way in which we can follow that instruction.
Changing the way we think leads to a change in the way we act. Paul says that
when we let ourselves be transformed into a new person, we’ll be able to discern
God’s will for our life. What could be more consistent with the will of God
than relating to everyone we meet in a way that expresses a “gift for
kindness.” When we look at everyone we encounter as a beloved sister or brother,
and recognize that all the goodness God has instilled in us is also present in
them, we’re much more likely to find the “gift for kindness,” both in them and
in ourselves.
[1] © 2026 Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Alan Brehm on 8/23/2026 for
Hickman Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.
[2] I like the way Gene Peterson translates Romans 12:1
in The Message translation: “So
here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary
life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it
before God as an offering.” On this idea that all of life is to be our “worship”
of God, cf. Karl Barth, The Epistle to
the Romans, 431, where he says, “The problem of ‘ethics’ is … identical
with the problem of ‘dogmatics’: Soli Deo Gloria!”
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