"The fruit of the Spirit is...gentleness..."

 There seems to be a misconception in parts of society that gentleness is a bad thing, or gentleness equates to weakness. I hope I'm wrong about this conflation, because we need to remember that hidden behind gentleness is strength--strength that is laid aside or unused.

We often forget when enjoying a gentle breeze the power of the wind unleashed in a tornado. We often forget when enjoying the gentle lap of waves at the beach the power of tsunamis and flooding. We implicitly understand that these instances of gentleness are beneficial. We understand that untempered strength can be horrifying and destructive. We need to recognize the strength behind gentleness, and retain our appreciation for gentleness.

You've probably already noticed that I enjoy children's books. Not children's books in the modern, board book/picture sense, but children's book in the tradition of Narnia, The Hobbit, Fairy Tales, etc... The sense of gentleness as strength laid aside is not hard to find in these books. Some quick examples:

After he held her to his heart for a minute, he spoke to his white horse, and the great beautiful creature, which had been prancing so proudly a little while before, walked as gently as a lady--for he knew he had a little lady on his back--through the gate and up to the door of the house.

                              --From The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

 The Lion shook his mane and clapped his paws together ("Terrible paws," thought Lucy, "if he didn't know how to velvet them!")

                              --From The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Without gentleness in these instances, we would have a little girl thrown off a horse too powerful for her to handle riding, and the fierce claws of a lion. We would have fear, injury, and death.

But where I'm most grateful for gentleness is in how God shows his strength to bring justice to the nations. We read in Isaiah 42:1-4:

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
    he will bring forth justice to the nations.
 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
    or make it heard in the street;
 a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
    he will faithfully bring forth justice.
 He will not grow faint or be discouraged
    till he has established justice in the earth;
    and the coastlands wait for his law.

 This is the gentle, suffering servant of God, Jesus Christ, who establishes justice not by trampling his enemies under foot or extinguishing them as strength could have easily allowed, but by bearing their sin and facing the full wrath of God in their stead. In this gentleness is the strength that overcomes sin, death, and the power of the devil. He was mocked for this gentleness so I probably shouldn't be surprised some do not appreciate gentleness now. I pray that those who don't appreciate gentleness now will ultimately gain this appreciation and be spared from facing untempered strength they cannot withstand.