Learn to think and speak kindly of others.

People may commit what is called an unspeakably deadly sin on your plane because of great unselfish love―one to the other. 

Well, they will have to bear the consequences of the wrongdoing, but the absorbing affection the one had for the other will go a long way towards shortening the discipline. 

The same with many other acts, which do not stand so much in the limelight of public opinion. 

Not many sins are committed from absolutely unworthy motives, there is generally a spark of affection for some other person mixed up with it. 

All this talk about the horrible wickedness of sin is true to a certain extent, but the righteous Pharisee is very apt to confuse the sin and the sinner and to refuse to distinguish between the two. 

When our Master was last on the earth, one of the most important commands He gave to the people was this―judge not―that meant because they could not know all the circumstances that led a person to commit some unworthy act, and would, therefore, be incapable of giving a fair opinion. 

There is much of that kind of judging on the earth, only it is called criticism―a milder expression of the same thing. 

All of you must learn to appreciate the real meaning of the word charity. 

You do not know how much the spoken thought can influence another person―or what harm―or good it may, and can do. 

But we know it here, and the message for you today is to learn to think and speak kindly of others.

If they cannot speak kindly, at least, let them be silent. 

This is an important message, and one that is very badly needed.

―The Witness