Those who are kind reward themselves, but the cruel do themselves harm. Proverbs 11:17, NRSV

Our inner and outer worlds are connected in various ways, and what we do in one affects the other. When we tend to our own inner lives, we don’t project our own faults and fears on others; this makes it so much easier to appreciate them, and a lot less likely that we will do them harm. When we tend to our outer relationships, we learn to accept the love of others; in that, we just might know ourselves as lovable.

An act of kindness toward another shines its blessing on our inner world; an act of cruelty toward another throws its shadow over who we are in our innermost selves. Whether we lighten the burdens of others or add to their misery, we cannot escape the truth that we do the same to ourselves simultaneously…