Candace Cameron Bure and her brother Kirk Cameron recently discussed the importance of staying kind, even when faced with criticism. The duo took time to thank each other for inspiring them and many others worldwide.
Afterward, they talked about what it’s like to face criticism, especially from non-believers. Bure explained, “I know that the Holy Spirit gives us the fruit of the spirit. God gives each and every one of us self-control. That’s something we need to have when we’re in those hot topics and divisive conversations.”
Bure admitted that it’s easy to want to respond immediately, but she says it’s more “important to represent Christ well.” For her, that means pausing to “consider the other perspective and taking a second to pray” before sharing her opinion.
Bure’s brother noted that she had spent years as a Christian on the world stage, including on the television series The View, where she often was the one Christian voice. Ratings, he added, often “get better when you ditch the kindness” and shout. Cameron later asked the “Full House” star how she stays kind, even to people who aren’t kind in return.
She shared, “I always try to think about their perspectives or where they’re coming from. I think trying to hear their perspective and have empathy can diffuse a situation.” She continued, “Kindness takes effort. I think that’s why it’s so challenging. We have to learn it. We have to apply it. It becomes an action, and we have to be mindful of it.”
However, Bure quickly stressed that being kind when speaking to someone who doesn’t agree with your faith doesn’t mean agreeing with what they’re saying. She explained, “Kindness doesn’t mean you have to be agreeable. It just means you have to be kind and respectful within the conversation or whatever action is taking place. We can be kind and loving but still speak the truth and stand up for God.”
Bure added that practicing kindness and being passive aren’t the same thing. She said, “We just don’t have to yell and scream and pound our fists and just say things we’ll regret. It’s about being calm and sober in demeanor and having those respectful conversations, even if they’re not in agreement.”
The world, she said, is watching how Christians react to controversial situations. “It’s so important to represent Christ well, and I think that means taking a pause, taking a breath, taking a beat,” she said. “Consider the other perspective – where they’re coming from. Take a second to pray. And, then, speak your voice, speak your opinion.
Bure continued, “But I think just that calmness in the very beginning really, really helps when you take that beat and that breath because I don’t think that anyone’s ever going to change their opinion when you yell at them or bark at them and tell them how awful they are for how they’re thinking.”
Cameron said Christians must practice the words of Micah 6:8: “Act justly,” “love mercy,” and “walk humbly with your God.”