America feels raw right now. The assassination of a man because of his words. Another school shooting, on the very same day. These moments remind us of how fragile our lives, our civility, and our communities truly are. We’re weary. We’re anxious. And whether we admit it or not, we all need a break.
That’s why kindness matters more than ever. Not as a platitude, but as a practice. In a world that rewards shouting, kindness whispers and still changes the room. It’s the reminder that every single person we meet is carrying a story that may be heavier than we can imagine.
Bob Goff says love is never stationary, it moves, it acts, it interrupts. Kindness is love with its sleeves rolled up. It looks like offering your place in line, writing a note that costs nothing but means everything, or pausing to really listen when your instinct is to argue. Small gestures, inconvenient moments, unseen acts, they ripple outward further than we think.
A minister friend once told me that the local church is the hope of the world. I’d add that kindness is the hope of every human exchange. It turns transactions into friendships, conflict into connection, and meetings into ministry. It reminds us that even when we disagree deeply, people are still worth more than positions.
In business, in community, in family life, kindness is not weakness. It’s the very thing that builds trust faster than any contract and repairs bridges stronger than any program. Spreadsheets and strategies will fade, but how we made people feel, that lingers.
So, in these hard days, I want to issue a challenge. Be extravagantly kind this week. Not polite. Not surface-level nice. But the kind of kindness that surprises, disarms, and heals. The kind that interrupts cynicism and writes a better headline than violence or division.
We can’t control the chaos of the world. But we can choose kindness in our corner of it. And if enough of us do, it just might be the break America needs.
Always Forward.
Ron Kitchens
