Good men often die between the ages of 30 and 45; they just aren’t buried until they’re 80.
They die quietly;
in sacrifice without experiencing reciprocated love,
in hands always open to others
while their own souls go unattended.
So do not be merely good.
Be kind!
A good man is sympathetic; he feels for others, often at the expense of himself.
A kind man is empathetic; he understands others, but he also understands his own limits.
For goodness, when stripped of wisdom,
learns to give until nothing remains.
But kindness remembers the command in full:
“Love your neighbor, as yourself.” Lev. 19:18, Mark 12:31
A good man pours himself out for the world.
A kind man knows he is also part of the world God loves.
A good man endures everything in silence, mistaking suffering for obedience.
A kind man listens; to God, to others,
and to the quiet cry within his own chest.
Christ did not despise rest.
He withdrew. He wept. He slept in storms.
He loved perfectly,
yet never abandoned Himself.
Kindness follows the same pattern.
To be kind is not to harden the heart,
but to guard it.
Not to love less,
but to love rightly.
So do not rush to be called good by men.
Choose instead the narrow, gentler path.
Be a kind man;
alive in spirit, whole in love,
and faithful to the God
who never asked you to disappear
in order to fully live.
