Be gentle – or else!

It is so very easy to find a reason not to be gentle. Whether it is within the family, in a debate at church, or in a forum online, most of us are experts at justifying unkind words.

Pastoral care Helen Thorne-Allenson

In the face of, what seems to us, others’ unwise, unmeasured, ungodly or simply unthought-through comments, we may quickly default to snapping, lashing out, responding tersely, or putting others down. At times, we may regret our lack of gentleness but, more often, we reassure ourselves that our response was appropriate. After all, some people really do say (or write) the most unhelpful things.