Cultivating Kindness

What shall we say about kindness? I thought Chris Stewart's comments in another post needed to be posted here on the main page for us to consider as we ramp up to preach on kindness. Chris writes...

What text are you guys planning to use for "kindness"? I'm chewing on Eph. 4:31-5:2.

It struck me that of the 10 occurences of kindness (chrestotes) in the NT, all ten were in Paul and 7 referred to God's kindness (justification, mercy) in the face of well deserved judgement. If we try to be "imitators of God" (Eph. 5:1) we will be kind and forgiving (4:32). Lots to unpack in this text.

As Chris writes, "Lots to unpack." Indeed. Something someone said to me this past Sunday really struck me. He said that he imagined these sermons on the fruit of the Spirit would be a great deal about us. Instead, he hears me talking more about who God is, which in many ways informs who we are. I suppose--again, as Chris writes--if we are to speak of kindness in our sermons and classes, we need to begin with God.

Any other texts come to mind as conversation partners and/or corollaries?