As I read the newspaper or listen to the news, I often get so fed up with the disheartening and tragic events taking place that I sometimes lay down the paper unread. There are days when I’d rather not know all that’s going wrong. Yet, listen to what took place in California. According to the Associated Press, Chuck Wall, a human relations instructor at Bakersfield College, was watching the news one day when a cliche` from a broadcaster stuck in his mind: “Another random act of senseless violence.” Wall got an idea. He gave an unusual homework assignment to his students. They were required to do something out of the ordinary to help someone and then write an essay about it. What was this something out of the ordinary? Wall didn’t exactly tell his students what they were to do. Instead, he passed out bumper stickers that said, “TODAY, I WILL COMMIT ONE RANDOM ACT OF SENSELESS KINDNESS … WILL YOU?” The students were assigned to commit a random act of senseless kindness and it was up to the students to decide what act of kindness to commit. Some of the students became so involved with the assignment that they sold the bumper stickers (which a bank and union paid to have printed) for one dollar each and the profits went to a county Braille Center. For his random act of senseless kindness one student paid his mother’s utility bills. Another student bought thirty blankets from the Salvation Army and took them to homeless people gathered under a bridge.
The idea took hold. The “Random Act of Senseless Kindness” bumper sticker was slapped on all 113 county patrol cars. It was preached from pulpits, in schools, and in professional associations. After seeing the success of the idea, Chuck Wall commented, “I had no idea it would erupt like it has. I had no idea our community was in such need of something positive.”
In a sermon, Jesus challenged the Christian believers with the words, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) Put another way, Jesus has asked His followers to commit random acts of senseless kindness to their community and family so that people see the love and faith that Jesus has given them and be attracted to Him.
I won’t be passing out any bumper stickers but I will pass on the challenge and encouragement to think of yourself as a ‘light’ to shine kindness to the people in your world. Consider inviting a friend to church this Sunday. This is truly an act of senseless kindness, for what could be more kind than to invite another to hear of a God who loves them and a Jesus who came to save them?
Pastor Mark
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