Acts of kindness

The news of the shooting at New Life church in Colorado Springs on Sunday is very unsettling. Horrible. Tragic. People killing people. Anger. Violence. We live in such an angry culture. A "spirit of anger" pervades over our society.

That's why a story I heard today brings "cultural relief" in the midst of all of the shootings and killings.

In Greensburg, Pennsylvania yesterday, a woman at a Starbucks decided to pay for the person behind her in the drive through. The man behind her did the same. Two hours later, over 100 consecutive cars participated in this wonderful act of kindness.

The server at the drive thru window would tell each car that they were under no obligation to participate in these acts of kindness. Yet, each person chose to do so.

In spiritual terms, kindness is a fruit of the spirit. It's comes from an outgrowth of our daily relationship with God.

Some people are not inclined toward acts of kindness, yet it's amazing what the Holy Spirit can do in our lives.

Kindness is shown by the words that we speak.

Mother Teresa once said, "Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless."

There's something to be said for giving someone a word of encouragement such as, "I really appreciate you." "You look great today." "What you said really spoke to my heart." "You're going to make it." "God loves you."

Kindness is also shown by the actions that we do.

I would offer today that true Christianity is demonstrating the kindness of God by offering to do some act of humble service with no strings attached.

Jesus said, "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Michigan resident Matt Jones decided to offer one of his kidneys, simply because he knew someone would need it.

"I thought that if I could help one person live a decent life, that would be great," Jones said. "It's turned out to be a lot more than that."

Michael Rees, the medical director of the Alliance for Paired Donation, says Jones started the first-ever kidney donation chain.

A kidney donation chain is an innovative idea wherein family members continue to "pay it forward" (that is, after an individual is blessed by a new kidney, someone in the recipient's family agrees to donate a kidney for someone else in need).

Matt Jones's kidney was donated to Barbara Bunnell. Barbara's husband, in turn, will donate his kidney to Angela Heckman, a woman he barely knows. After Angela Heckman receives Bunnell's kidney, Angela's mother will donate her kidney to someone else.

Ron Bunnell, Barb's husband, says, "I look at it as Barb got this gift from Matt, and I'm just paying it forward. It is terrific to be part of something bigger."

Let's all "pay it forward" today.