This week, The United Methodist Church lost a
spiritual giant—retired Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar. His death hit me hard, and when
I reflected on this, I realized because of the depth of his kindness. From his welcoming
embraces to the way he looked you in the eye when he asked you how you were, he
was a man who was fully present, grounded in grace, and an embodiment love.
I have been thinking all week about kindness. I do
think it is a quality we easily dismiss and a power we underestimate. Think
about the ways others have brought hope and healing into your life. It’s not
usually the grand gestures we think of, but the small ways people saw us, responded
to us and our needs, offered a squeeze on the arm, prayed for us, called us out
of the blue, sent a card of encouragement, caught our tears.
We live in a world that is in dire need of kind
people. Too many of us are stepping over or around those in need. Too many of
us allow anger, resentment, frustration, and impatience get the better of us,
so we fail to do the simple things that express kindness. We forget that our
small, random acts of kindness, powered by the Holy Spirit, make a difference
in the lives of those around us.
Consider ways you might express kindness
today. Pray the words to this hymn by Margaret Cropper:
Jesus' hands were kind hands,
doing good to all,
healing pain and sickness,
blessing children small,
washing tired feet and saving
those who fall;
Jesus' hands were kind hands,
doing good to all.
Take my hands, Lord Jesus, let
them work for you;
make them strong and gentle,
kind in all I do;
let me watch you, Jesus, till
I'm gentle too,
till my hands are kind hands,
quick to work for you.
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