Simple Is better: Embracing Kindness: Lessons from Mr Rogers on Living with Compassion

Simple is Better – Lessons from Unraveling Together

Luke 10:27 – He responded, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

1. I grew up in the era of Mr. Rodgers. Maybe you remember him. The guy that wore a comfortable cardigan and tennis shoes on public television. Ordained as a Presbyterian minister, Mr. Rodgers chose to make his ministry a television show. He wanted to help share and show the little of people just how to treat each other. Each week, he took real life examples and problem solved them with the characters on his show. As technology became more regular on TV, Mr. Rodgers was committed to using simple methods to convey his never-ending encouragement.

He taught lessons about sadness. Grief. Forgiveness. Being hurt, let down and left out. Mr. Rodgers literally became a quiet, soft voice for how we are to treat others. To treat our neighbors. How do we do this? By treating them the way WE want to be treated ourselves.

As I watch with disbelief at times of how too many people treat each other right now, my heart misses Mr. Rodgers. We desperately need a voice that draws us back to the very root of kindness, gentleness and compassion. To remind us that the best way for someone else to treat us well is to treat others the way we long to be treated.

Mr. Rodgers also helped us understand exactly who our neighbors are. They aren’t just the people who live across the street. They are anyone we come in contact with. The people we see in person, online, or through other methods of communication. With this idea of who our neighbor is, literally we are all neighbors, no matter what the geographical difference is in our locations.

I love what Mr. Rodgers says here as a way to encourage us: “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.” - Mr. Rogers

Somehow, we have set aside this basic understanding that how we treat others is important. It is often said that our neighbors may not remember what we did or didn’t do for them. What they will remember is how we treated them. Did we use kind words? Say, “Please” and “Thank you.” Listen to them and ask how they are really doing. And mean it.

It saddens my heart when I hear people in powerful positions speak so poorly of other people. Did they miss the lesson that says if we don’t have anything nice to say about someone, then don’t say anything at all? When we speak ill of another person, publicly criticize them and use words we certainly don’t want young people to use, it really only makes us look petty. Immature. Revengeful. Rarely is it a good idea to do this because we become the person who looks childish. Too often, people feel they can hide behind a screen and say whatever they want. It’s not a good look. And yet, so many people continue to do this. All. The. Time.

Here’s the real deal. I know that I can’t change anyone. But myself. Yes, we can have conversations about loving our neighbors. But actually doing this in real life? Whew. That’s more challenging.

I think about my actual neighbors. How well do I know them? Honestly? Not very well. If I want this to be different, it’s upon me to change this. For all of my neighbors, I pray that how I speak to people, treat them, listen to them and take in what they share with me reflects honestly how I want to be treated. That I model kindness, patience, compassion and gentleness. Yes, often I get this wrong. Once in a while, I pray that I get it right.

The last few days, I’ve been helping lead a writer’s retreat. Yesterday, a woman I met the night before shared with me some rather profound ideas and thoughts. She talked about a feeling that she felt within our small writer’s group as soon as she arrived. “I’ve found my tribe,” she declared and meant it. Another woman spoke to me about the calm presence she has felt while at the retreat. If this is how she really feels, I pray this is because everyone present has taken seriously the command to love our neighbors.

I know that I can’t change the world. I can’t even change Hubby Rick! But I can impact and choose how I live my daily life. I can be a calm presence in a world that desperately needs peace. I decide daily what neighbors to be in relationship with. How I speak to them, listen to them and interact with them. I may not be the funniest person in the world. (Just ask our 6-year-old granddaughter. She’s quick to point out that Grandpa is way more fun than I am!) But I pray that others know that I care for them. Love them. Appreciate them even when we disagree on major things.

So what can I do? What can you do? Many things are broken that cannot be quickly fixed. But I can share my time with another person. Offer a word of encouragement if appropriate. Let them unravel in my presence and listen rather than try to cheer them up. I can be kind and gentle and loving even if the other person has different opinions and/or has treated me poorly.

Imagine what our neighborhoods would look like if more of us tapped into our inner Mr. Rodgers and lived out the messages he spent a career perpetuating. While I long for a modern day Mr. Rodgers voice to speak up and out, I also am aware that I can be a little bit of him in how I live and act each day. May kindness, gentleness, love, patience and compassion be what I embrace daily, model to others and leave them knowing that I deeply care for them and love them exactly as they are. Are you willing to unleash your inner Mr. Rodgers and do the same? I pray so. May we all find our inner Mr. Rodgers and demonstrate to all our neighbors exactly how much we care for them. Today.

Blessings –

Dianne

Holy God – Thank you for the wonderful example of people like Mr. Rodgers who purposefully choose to model basic values that Christ taught. May I choose to embrace this attitude daily as well. Help me dig deep and remember to treat everyone as the neighbor that they are. Amen.

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Looking for a bit of daily inspiration? Check out my daily affirmation posts on Facebook and Instagram (Dianne Deaton Vielhuber and Simple Words of Faith.)

Attend one of my upcoming book events!

Sun., May 17 – Spring Prairie Lutheran Church, DeForest, WI – leading 10 AM worship

Tues., May 19 – Trinity Church, Beaver Dam, WI – workshop at 2 PM

Thurs., May 28 – Grace Lutheran Church, Dodgeville, WI – workshop at 4 PM