Kindness: The Graceful Virtue

Number five in a seven-part series on virtue

The virtue of kindness can be a confusing concept to understand because it can be defined in many ways. Perhaps the best way to understand kindness is to examine other words associated with kindness.

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary uses two important words in defining kindness. Those words are affection and favor.

Kindness Is an Expression of Affection

If one demonstrates kindness to another, it expresses a level of affection toward that person. A fine example of how this is manifested in life is found toward the end of the book of Acts in the New Testament.

Paul and his companions had just survived a shipwreck and found themselves stranded on the island of Malta. Luke, Paul’s companion and chronicler, records the kind actions of the natives to their group in chapter 28.

After we were brought safely through, we then learned…