September 2025

Letter from the Committee

Gentleness

A parent whispers, “Be gentle,” to a toddler excitedly meeting their infant sibling; a husband screeches, “Gentle!” to a wife tending to the painful results of a recent misadventure; the Lord’s humble tenderness reminds us all to follow His lead in gentleness.

1 Peter 3:4: “But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”

Tragically, recent news has been flooded with clashing rhetoric, violent demonstrations, and reckless demands for acquiescence that are indiscriminate of truth and morality. At a time when we may collectively feel like we have been knocked back, the knee-jerk reaction is to rise up, to fight, to defend, and to advocate. These are not misplaced impulses! However, it is also a time when we are most challenged to remain Christ-like in our manner and in our witness. 

From the Samarian woman at the well, to the beggar born blind, to the woman caught in adultery, to Jesus’ friend Lazarus, we see Christ’s character as one deeply compassionate, considerate, tender, and gentle toward all people. Even when His own people riotously chanted for His execution, He never shied away from directness or soft peddled truth, but He always operated in gentleness and respect. 

Isaiah 30:18: “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion.”

Gentleness of spirit often appears to fall on the opposing side of strength. However, Christ’s image is not one of weakness. At His words, demons fled and people fell back. He didn’t beat people into submission to His will, but He stood fully and mightily in His Father’s authority, sincerely tender in His unconditional love for others. As believers, we are empowered to walk in authority and gentleness too!

John Piper writes, “The strength of a gentle spirit is the greatest strength of all, for it conquers hearts rather than battles.”

Though the painful consequences of our current, societal upheaval are far from our choosing, it creates a landscape where believers might stand out even more starkly as advocates for the other-worldly kingdom of the LORD. 

Fellow believers, we exhort you with these loving words: be gentle!

Your Stoa Alumni Committee,

Samuel Durand (AR), Nicole Kaiser (MT), Alyssa Sloneker (AR), Denise Sprimont-Vasquez (VA), Elizabeth Stapleton (OK), and David Vasquez (VA)

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