As a family, we’ve been watching Race Across the World, on catch-up on iplayer. It follows 5 couples (married/father-daughter/brothers/friends) as they travel across Canada. They are racing against each other to reach each checkpoint and the final destination, having adventures along the way. They have a limited budget, so have to find cheap travel and accommodation, and sometimes need to supplement their money by working. On several occasions, we have seen competitors reduced to tears by the kindness of strangers – giving lifts, accommodation, even buying them meals.
The Bible talks about kindness in a number of places. It talks about God’s kindness, that encourages us to turn to God rather than turn our backs on him. It talks of the riches of God’s kindness; and even calls Jesus God’s kindness. For some, kindness may not be a characteristic they associate with God. They may picture God as harsh or tyrannical. It’s interesting that the Bible portrays God differently, saying that it was out of love that Jesus gave up his life so that we might have life for ever in him.
The Bible also talks of the kindness of people. One of the more well-known verses in the Bible says
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Evidence that God is at work in our lives is that we increase in those qualities, one of which is kindness. Am I kind? Are you? I wonder what increased kindness might look like for each of us today – a change of attitude, a change of action, both? As I reflect on this, I am aware that I want other people to be kind to me, and wonder how I can be the same for others: thinking the best of them, giving them the benefit of the doubt, doing something that will make them feel valued, even if it means going out of my way to do it, listening, praying, …
Going back to The Race Across the World, someone commented that Canadians are known for their kindness. Wouldn’t it be great if we heard ‘Christians are known for their kindness’!
The thought this week was written by Kate Gaze, Minister at Hardwick Evangelical Church and one of our Newly Accredited Ministers that received their handshake at the BU assembly this year.
When we began to think about our house move, one of the things that Tracey said that she was going to miss was the island in the kitchen (you may have seen it in various EBA videos such as this one). The kitchen in our new manse is considerably smaller …
4th October 2023
Prisons week runs from Sunday 8th October to Saturday 14th For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and …
10th October 2023
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1) We live in an ever-changing world. We don’t have to look back too far in history to find the generation who would not have heard of every day words such …
26th September 2023
