Many years ago I was the warden\u201d\u201dthe senior lay\u00c2\u00adperson\u201d\u201dof 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 \u00c2\u00adnature 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 \u00c2\u00adsermon. As he finished, he looked out over the congregation and with a smile on his face quietly concluded, \u201cAlways show more kindness than seems necessary, \u00c2\u00adbecause the person receiving it needs it more than you will ever know.\u201d\u009d That sentence hit me with a special force that has remained with me for four \u00c2\u00addecades. His lesson was clear: Kindness is not just about being nice; it\u2019s about recognizing another human being who deserves care and respect.<\/p>\n