by Cory Kemp

Created on: October 14, 2008

Kindness

Have you ever watched Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella?

The Broadway musical became a television special in the 1960's and a cherished memory from my childhood ever since. The story itself is timeless: boy meets girl; boy loses girl; boy finds girl once again to live happily ever after. The addition of a fairy godmother, magic pumpkins and glass slippers that had to be impossible to walk in brought drama and suspense to a tale whose ending was known to us all along. We didn't watch Cinderella to discover the ending, but to become a part of the story itself. For just when we think the Prince will not have a chance to try the glass slipper on his true love's foot, Cinderella's fairy godmother urges her to offer the Prince a cool dipper of water to refresh himself on his arduous travels. Against the protests of her stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella offers the Prince a drink. He recognizes her, and they know they belong together.

Moral of the story: kindness extended can welcome miracles into our lives in the most unexpected of ways.
Have you ever heard the story of the traveler who was attacked and the man who helped him?
Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jerico, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then, he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these do you think proved neighbor to the man who fell among thieves? He said, 'The one who showed mercy on him.' And Jesus said to him, 'Go and do the same (Luke 10: 29-37)."
Moral of the story: kindness extended becomes an example of mercy for others to follow and through which they may experience newness of life.
Some would say that fairy tales and scripture readings do not mix well as theological underpinnings on which to base our lives. I believe that God welcomes each of us to search out divine activity and reason wherever we may find it. In wise

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