Many years ago I was the warden””the senior layÂperson””of a small suburban Episcopal church in northern Virginia. During that time, the bishop assigned to our parish an elderly priest, in some kind of distress and in need of a parish, to serve as an assistant pastor. I never knew the Ânature of his problem. We just welcomed him into the church, treated him as one of us, and ministered to him, just as we ministered to one another. He was with us for a year. On his last Sunday, he was assigned the Âsermon. As he finished, he looked out over the congregation and with a smile on his face quietly concluded, “Always show more kindness than seems necessary, Âbecause the person receiving it needs it more than you will ever know.” That sentence hit me with a special force that has remained with me for four Âdecades. His lesson was clear: Kindness is not just about being nice; it’s about recognizing another human being who deserves care and respect.
I feel very fortunate to have lived in the same time and space as General Powell. He’s a great American and a great human being. That he has been a neighbor makes me feel all the more favored.