“Goodness is about character — integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people.” ~ Dennis Prager
I have seen some very ugly people in my life. Their ugliness cut to the very core of their being. Their ugliness was disgusting, nauseating, and sometimes even frightening. Given today’s quote, I think you probably know where I am heading with this. The ugliness of which I speak is not physical. I am in no position to call anyone else ugly on the outside. The ugliness of which I speak is internal.
When we are confronted by an ugly person, we can feel their anger or their hatred. We can feel their disgust. We often feel intimidated. We want nothing more than to get away from such a person and do everything possible not to have to meet that kind of person in the first place. It appears that there is no goodness in such a person.
Prager reminds us that goodness is about character and is something that is easily witnessed by others. Goodness is “worn on our sleeves” as it appears to others in different kinds of actions: integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, et cetera. Goodness always prompts us to treat others well.
They say that a person’s character is formed by the time he or she is two or three. I think there is a lot of truth to that. You can easily witness goodness in the actions of a child that young by the way they interact with their world. Some interact quite selfishly and explode if things don’t go their way. Others react with kindness, charm, and joy. They are content with others and even reach out to share with others and enjoy one another’s company.
Goodness is infectious. When we are around people who exude goodness, we want to be like them. They inspire us to do better in our own relationships with others. Let’s hear it for those who touch our lives in such a positive way and let’s do our best to be just like them. For, in doing so, we are all a bit more like Christ. And isn’t that the whole goal anyway?
FAITH ACTION: Treat everyone you encounter today with dignity, kindness, and respect. Let them see the goodness in your soul.