By Ven. Greg Allinson
Over the last few weeks I have been surprised and encouraged by random phone calls and multiple text messages from friends and parishioners – and not just within our church ‘connect 5’ structure. I have been even more surprised by a number of cards that have been handwritten and posted. These acts of kindness have been such a blessing to me and got me thinking …
I wonder whether these ‘random acts of kindness’ might flow around our parish community and increase.
Scripture tells us to ‘encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing’ (1 Thessalonians 5:11). We are to do this precisely because God has destined us for salvation. Earlier in the same letter, Paul prays for his readers, ‘may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you’ (1 Thess 3:12). Again, in Philippians 1:9, Paul says, ‘And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more …’
Do you see how Paul encourages their love, but also wants them to display that love more and more?
I see and hear of many acts of kindness and pastoral care around the St Mark’s community, and, like Paul, I pray we can do that more and more. We are good at responding when someone is in need – how about if we do that more and more with random acts of kindness?
Of course, the things that I previously mentioned work great – phone calls, texts, letters, social media contact, etc. But here are some suggestions about other random act of kindness that anyone could do …
How about making a care package for someone and dropping it at their door?
It could be something fun like a jigsaw or crossword puzzle. It could be something more digestible like a casserole or a bottle of wine (!). It could be a jar of your homemade olives.
Or, it could be a package especially designed for kids – a pack of Lego or instructions on how to build different paper planes. It could be seven magazines for seven days’ light reading. It could be a picture of someone drawn by a child.
It doesn’t have to be expensive and it doesn’t need to be for a special occasion. In a sense, the more random or unexpected it is, the more it displays our love for each other as a St Mark’s family, even more so when it goes to someone we know less well.
‘Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord you labour is not in vain.’ – 1 Corinthians 15:58