What does 'love kindness' look like?
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God ? (Micah 6:6–8) Two words stopped my in my tracks: “Love kindness.” The imperative scanned my heart like a searchlight. Do I really love kindness? Or do I mainly love the idea of kindness? I frequently pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!” ( Psalm 139:23). He was taking me up on my invitation. This heart examination continued and spread through the rest of verse: Do I really “do justice”? Or do I mainly affirm the idea of justice ? Is my "doing justice" mainly "not doing injustice" myself, but rarely pursuing justice for others? Micah 6:8 exposes me: I can love abstract ideas of justice and kindness, and neglect their concrete expression. It admonishes me: I cannot “do justice” or “love kindness” without loving real people. It humbles me, which is just what the Doct...