During the past week while I’ve been preparing a sermon for Sunday [Nov 7] I have been drawn to a focus on kindness. This ‘fruit of the Spirit’ grows out of the heart of God in the people he has called by name and included in his family. Kindness is much more powerful than many of us realize in changing hearts and allowing God’s life to appear in our society. Kindness is mentioned in the description of love which St. Paul offered to the Corinthians and in his letter to the Ephesians and is part of God’s call on our lives. I have been the recipient of acts of kindness and have been privileged to offer some and these events have always had a transformative nature. I remember the kindness of some customers when I worked at a retail store and I remember the kindness of colleagues as I struggled with some difficulty. As I thought about kindness in the midst of the pandemic restrictions I realize that it is one of the fruits of the Spirit which can be bestowed even while we are separated. So, during the next week, perhaps it would be a good exercise to choose kindness in new situations and with different people. May God’s Spirit grow this fruit in us as we engage with one another. Glen +
Lord God please guide us all into some random acts of kindness and lead us to offer this fruit of the Spirit to someone new this week. This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.