By Lois Hewitt

On this day celebrating America’s independence, a few thoughts.

Being nice is a good thing.  Humans could stand to be nicer.  Nice and polite are cornerstones to a civilized society.

But do not be confused.  Nice is not what all humans are.  We live in a world full of bullies of every varying degree.  Bullies love to run right over nice people.

Now I know it’s not fair. Nor is it ideal but it is a part of life especially in this day and age.

Even fairy tales deal with mean step-mothers and violent, cannibalistic old ladies. 

I was taught to be nice. As a youth, I ended up in a variety of unhealthy situations because I did not think I was allowed to not be nice and just say no.

Today I think a lot about warriors. People who stand up for what’s right, who are not being nice in the moment.

I am reminded that the One I look up to, the One I try to emulate, Jesus Christ, was not always nice.

He fought head on with the hypocrites of the church in His day.  He stormed the church and turned over the tables of the moneychangers.

He came to give us mercy and grace for which we are undeserving and He came to call out the liars that said one thing and did another. The ones who ultimately killed him for His teachings.

Please do not misunderstand me. Nice is a good thing. Compassion and grace can go far in healing a broken society.

But we must also be ready to stand for justice and righteousness.  We are called to be warriors. Maybe not with swords but in word and deed.

Unfortunately, a bully will not respond favorably to you being nice. No one told me that there will be times in life where you have to stand up straight and stand your ground.

I dream of a world where everyone is kind and courteous. Would that be perfection?  But that is not where we live today. 

Everyone has an agenda and they expect all others to comply. I, too, have an agenda but realize not everyone else is interested in my thoughts. That’s ok, I expect moderate opposition.

But if you start really pushing back, I will not be nice.  I have learned, however, that you can still be civil and yet be strong. 

That’s what my experiences have taught me. Even in one’s niceness, there must be strength. 

I grapple with this daily.  I still hear the words “be nice” ringing in my ears. But I also know the debilitating fear of not owning one’s strength.

As society continues to spiral, I pray for strength which is different from uncontrolled anger.

Strength and determination are beautiful attributes. Nice can bring change for sure. But strength brings justice and rightness in action.  Strength protects the unprotected and holds the evil at bay.

Please be kind, nice and gentle.  But also remember that you are a warrior with strength given from Above.

With strength comes purpose and those two things together can change worlds and the people in them.