In a world where you can be anything, Be Kind.

My Dear Friends, 

As we continue our pilgrimage through the Fruits of the Spirit, today we walk hand in hand with Kindness.
One reason why I chose that pilgrim start is because when we have been on Camino we have experienced overwhelming acts of Kindness and generosity, with complete strangers offering us hospitality, feeding us, and inviting to share meals like members of their family. 
You know it makes such a difference.

The other places where I have experienced incredible kindness is when visiting places where folk are very poor. In a Sudanese Refugee camp, where people had very little, they offered us their food. In Parts of India, where my friend and I were driving to Calcutta, strangers opened their houses and welcomed us in. In Pakistan where our van broke down, someone we had never met before took off his belt to strap our battery in place.

These have been inspiring moments, and you too have experienced many of them, and shown your owns acts of kindness. It is not something exclusive to the poor or the pilgrim, the traveller or the stranger. It is something that we are all called to embrace.

Today we are thinking of it as one of the fruits of the Spirit. This means  not so much striving to be kind, but rather being open to the guidance and presence of the Spirit, and we will experience kindness.

I remember hearing a story of someone moving in to a little village, and asking the priest ‘What are the people like around here?’ 
The priest replied ‘What were they like where you came from?’
‘Oh, they were a miserable and grumpy lot. Keeping themselves to themselves and not being very welcoming! ‘ Said the newcomer.

The priest replied ‘You will probably find them much the same here.’

Later that same day another new resident came along and said to the priest. Hi, lovely to meet you. We have just moved in, so I am keen to say hello. Tell me, what are the folk round here like?’

The priest replied ‘What were they like where you came from?

He said, ‘They were lovely, full of joy and very welcoming, and always pleased to help!’

The priest said ‘You will probably find them much the same here.’

You see, a great deal of the response we get from people depends on how we approach and engage with them. Both misery and laughter are infectious, and kindness is the most infectious of all.

If we are living with God in our lives, and showing love, and thinking of others. If we are trying to treat people with respect, and looking our for the stranger, the orphan and widow, then folk will respond. Without doubt we will be on the receiving end of great kindness.

But there is more. 
Someone who is poor, knows what it is to go without, and is very likely to be generous with the little they have because they understand others hunger.

The person who has been a stranger knows what it is like to feel excluded, and they will offer friendship and hospitality.

The person who only thinks of themselves will want to hang on to everything. Where your treasure is, your heart will be also.

You don’t need me to tell you to be kind. You don’t need faith in order to be kind. You don’t even need to encounter great need in order to be kind, but you do need to allow the Spirit in to receive all the kindness that is coming your way.

Being kind makes everyone feel better. You know that. Not being kind is a path to misery.
So, you know what to do.

Bless you, feel the love, embrace the Spirit, and let your kindness shine forth. Be open to all that is given you, and be comfortable in your own skin.

As ever,

Fr Marcus