Copyright © 2011 Grace Family Church of Rhode Island

A newspaper headline reads, "For These girls, No Tears, Just Fists." A 13-year-old girl, encouraged by her mother, and along with her mother and other women and girls, beat up a 12-year-old girl when the first girl's boyfriend kissed her on the cheek. They beat her so savagely she was left in a coma.

Another group of girls participated in a hazing so brutal several girls were hospitalized with broken bones. The girls were merely expelled.

The incidence of violence among girls has risen in the past few years. Boys still have the edge, but according to the Associated Press, arrest statistics show the ratio has increased from 10 to 1 to 4 to 1. More incidents occur without arrests.

What's happening? Doesn't sugar and spice and everything nice still describe girls? Girls are starting to act more and more like boys. They have role models in the movies showing them the way: Lara Croft, the cyborg from Terminator 3, Trinity in The Matrix and the X-Men movies.

Other factors contribute to violence among girls: less religious influence, more broken homes, fewer mothers at home during the day and a coarser, more violent society in general.

Betsy Hart, the author of the above mentioned article states: "When the virtue of women as a group degenerates in a culture, it weakens the culture as a whole and it's a dangerous thing. In every successful society, women are the ultimate keepers of virtue. They are the civilizing influence on the men and the culture around them." Women have typically been the gentling factor of society.

One of the definitions of gentle is "free from harshness, sternness or violence." Another is "considerate or kindly in disposition; amiable and tender."

When one thinks of gentleness, a mother with her baby comes to mind. Women are supposed to be gentle, tender and kind. But as with most other moral virtues, being gentle isn't cool. It's better to stand up for yourself and fight back.

Gentleness isn't mentioned a lot in the Bible, but the few verses in the Old Testament that use the word gentle (in the King James Version; other translations use various words with similar meanings) point to the gentleness of the Father. Second Corinthians 10:1 speaks of the gentleness of Christ. Galatians 5:23 says it is a fruit of the Spirit. God in the fullness of the Trinity is gentle.

Even though 1 Peter 3:4 admonishes wives not to let their beauty come from their physical appearance, he seems to be speaking to all women. Our beauty "should be that of [our] inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight," (NIV). A gentle and quiet spirit is one who knows God, trusts him and lives in the security of his love.

Gentleness toward others shows respect and consideration. It shows an understanding of the value of each person to God.

Gentleness shouldn't be an old-fashioned virtue. As one of the fruits of the Spirit, it applies to every Christian-male or female. It should be taught to our daughters to help keep our society strong. It should be modeled for our sons and practiced in our daily lives.

Gentleness is part of who Jesus is, and as he lives in us, our gentleness will be lived out for others to see and feel.

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