These unprecedented lockdown days are making us look again at life, and we are finding that priorities are changing. Over the next few days we’ll be looking at some of the things we are discovering as St Chrysostom’s people, and how these things may shape the world, and our community and church in the future.
Recently in a Zoom conversation – something we’d never have had three months ago! – we were talking about small acts of kindness we had experienced and how much they meant at the time. We were greatly encouraged by our the conversation.
Fliss told of how she had herself received by being able to help a child that was lost near her home. Kate told how unexpectedly a friend had sent her a home made cushion after hearing Kate’s dog had died. Albert (aged three) told us how his young sister was kind to him. Julie mentioned the unexpected kindness of a store manager to an elederly lady who had lost her hearing aid. Bernie was able to rest in bed longer through the kindness of someone who unexpectedly did one of her work tasks for her. Admos and Michael had found a wood pigeon which had been killed by a cat and gently gave it a decent burial. Paul spoke of special kindnesses in his family life. Sandra told us of a friend in distress who was given a bed for the night by a kind person whom she did not know. Andrew told of the initiative of a neighbour to collect and look after a parcel for him, and Alan spoke of the small acts of church kindness in sending out letters to members.
Kindness matters. In our conversation we realised how we were recognising and appreciating acts of kindness in new ways. We were appreciating unexpected kindness and we were finding it in unexpected places.
This led us to hope this would continue beyond lockdown days. Care and kindness clearly should be a priority of our lives and of course of our church life. We will think about how precisely we can develop kindness in our church life.
We hoped that we would step out of our usual circles and be prepared to be kind and considerate to our neighbours whoever they are. We also felt we ourselves benefitted by being kind and open to the needs, however small, of others. We were encouraged to look out for small opportunities to be kind in our daily lives.
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