Perpetual Kindness

This Week's Quotation:

“Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people, more beautiful than perpetual kindness.”

—Leo Tolstoy

Perpetual Kindness

 

Rev. Berry Behr, Interfaith Minister

With Kiva Africa 2026 coming up soon, I have entered a time of daily communal prayer with some of the elders of Kiva, wisdom keepers of different traditions, representing many parts of the world. We plan to gather in Zimbabwe at the end of April for four dedicated days of prayers for peace. Although our prayers have the same intention, they are all expressed differently because prayer is a state of being—an ongoing awareness of the whispered messages of God in our lives, expressed through every thought, word, and deed.

Elder Helmut Kinzelmann from Germany described the four sacred themes of the Kiva: honoring Spirit, celebrating the bonds of family and kinship with all beings, remembering the Ancestors whose prayers live on through us, and seeking the healing of the Earth and of ourselves so that we may walk in balance and harmony.

He concluded simply: “Respect, love, and honor are how we protect the energy of the fire.”

Elder Helmut said the greatest gift of his many years of “walking the Kiva path” has been meeting people from many walks of life and discovering love within all of them. This, he said, has been the foundation of his spiritual growth.

Wise insights from a wise elder.

Yet our world—social media, in particular—can amplify disconnection to the point where we forget to respect, love, and honor others. A dear mentor of mine, a courageous community activist and entertainer who lived boldly and authentically as a nonbinary person, endured years of online mockery and cruelty. This month, they passed away from cancer. Many voices that once criticized now offer praise. Perhaps now that the initial perceived threat of difference has receded beyond the veil, people can see past it to the radiant light at the core of my friend’s being. A primal light that generously ignited many people, including me, to explore the truth of their own soul’s calling.

Primal spirituality reminds us that difference is part of divine design—and that bringing our best selves into the world may look very much like acts of kindness. May the flame of perpetual kindness burn brightly in all our hearts and find expression in every thought, word, and deed.

About Open Windows

We, the authors of this blog, dedicate it to the transparent exploration of the world's sacred scripture and enlightened spiritual thought. We believe that the original inspiration of all faiths comes from a common source, named and revered in a myriad of ways. With that understanding, the innumerable symbols, beliefs, and practices of faith cease to divide. They become open windows to a common reality that inspires and unifies us. We find deeper insight and nourishment in our own faith and from the expression of faith from others.

We hope these weekly quotations and meditations speak to your heart and soul.