November 13, 2022

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Welcome and Prayer: Nancy Lopez

Good morning and welcome to RefleXion!     May the Lord be with you                                               Steve, John, and Spencer, we especially welcome you; thank you for being with us. 

Today, if you don’t know, is World Kindness Day.  It was started in Japan in 1997 by a coalition of non-governmental organizations “to promote expressing kindness in our communities and around the world.”  Now observed on November 13 each year, it’s a chance to remember kindness’s power to bring humankind together across political, social, racial, and economic boundaries.

Kindness, as we know, is an attribute of God, and its quality desirable, but not consistently found, in humans.  It has connection with other English words, such as goodness, mercy, pity, love, grace, favor, compassion, gentleness, tenderness, etc. And we’ve experienced God’s kindness in these ways, haven’t we, as deliverance from fear, trouble, or consequences, as open doors, as comfort and support.  It seems like a gentle word.  Some Mindfulness teachers are even replacing that word with the term Kindfulness, to remind us that it’s not just being present; it is being present with compassion and kindness, even to ourselves.  It IS gentle, it is a virtue. 

And I think Kindness is much more powerful than we might first think about it.  From Romans 2:4, we’re asked:  Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God is what led you to repentance?  Kindness led us to repentance; kindness was a member of our rescue team. It has transformative power.  It heals.  The Good Samaritan was kind, and this kindness was expressed in actions that rescued, helped, and healed.

And moreover, I believe that we can say that kindness is spiritual warfare.  It is a weapon against disconnectedness. It pierces through our own armor of Ego and judgement, our prejudices, and when released, can pierce through another’s armor too.  Kindness can pierce the darkness.  Kindness is an act of resistance, reconciliation, and restoration.  Kindness says no to evil deeds.  It is a breath of fresh air, a proclamation of shared humanity.  It is a gift of good news. That’s what I think. What do you think?

Let’s pray:

Our Father, may Your Kingdom come in truth and power.  As we are glad recipients of Your kindness, may we honor You by offering that kindness that has been shown to us, knowing that it is good news for us all.  Thank you for each person listening here and all the ways they have shown kindness.  May Your kindness be the blessing we give and receive today.  Amen

Morning Talk: Steve Gumaer

Steve’s talk was personal and unscripted, so we do not have notes to share with you. However, you can watch it by clicking the “Watch Live” button in the sidebar, or listen to the podcast of his talk.

Personally, I found Steve’s message to reach deeper and have more impact than anything that I have heard in a long time. —chuck