Dearly Beloved,
Grace and Peace to you.
Yesterday was Mother Teresa’s birthday. We revere her memory as a great person, but as she continually said, we are not called to do great things; we are called to do ordinary things with great love. We marvel at her impact on the world, when the only power she had was her kindness. But we shouldn’t marvel. Hidden in simple kindness is the power to change a situation, change a life, change the world. What is God’s power in the world, even the power to create the universe, but God’s overflowing kindness?
All the great spiritual teachers tell us this: that loving kindness is not a little thing, or even an ordinary thing. It is a superpower. The baptismal vows in the United Methodist Church include one to “accept the power God gives you to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.” It sounds like the job description of a superhero. But that’s exactly the promise of baptism: you have this divine power in you. Use it. And here’s the latest news: recent research has found that witnessing an act of kindness, even to a stranger, increases a person’s compassion toward others. Kindness is self-replicating.
Go into this day with the immense power of kindness. Don’t pull back from using it at every opportunity. Trust its power. It is for this that you are here: to bear God’s kindness to the world. God be with you.
Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve
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Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
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