麻豆社

鈥淏e kind to one another. Look after each other, don't have hate in your hearts.鈥�

In such a dark week of news, a shard of light from the Nottingham vigil on Thursday as the mother of the murdered student Grace O鈥橫alley-Kumar urged a different kind of response to the tragedy. Words echoed by Barnaby Webber鈥檚 mother Emma, who said, 鈥淧lease hold no hate that relates to any colour, sex or religion.鈥�

As the dad of a university student myself, I couldn鈥檛 find the words as I watched on; but the fact that kindness could be mentioned at all in this context brought word of some help, some hope.

I鈥檝e been reading the work of two ecumenical peacemakers from Ireland recently, the theologian Glenn Jordan and the poet Padraig O鈥橳uama, and what they call 鈥榯he big idea鈥� within seemingly irrevocable contexts of (in their case) community strife.

And the big idea is - yes - kindness. And though it may sound like the unrealistic or 鈥榮oft' option to some, it鈥檚 really not: 鈥楰indness,鈥� says Jordan, 鈥榠s never naive about how the world is. It is a choice to love in the face of division.鈥�

They actually call it 鈥榯he great work of kindness鈥� - arguing that the choice we have is to transmit our own pain and make others suffer, or transform our pain through kindness, and break the cycle.

And if people like them, who鈥檝e worked at the sharpest end, say that鈥檚 not naive, I鈥檓 willing to follow their lead; just as I鈥檓 willing to try to follow Jesus, who says that 鈥榠n everything do to others what you would have them do to you鈥�.

It gives me hope that if that鈥檚 all we can do to help, instead of just watching on, we can do it.

Some kindnesses of course will cost more than others, but it鈥檚 perhaps in the everyday, ordinary acts that we cultivate a practice.

A couple of weeks ago our son, away at university, went on an urgent dash to town for a sick friend to pick up a prescription. When he arrived, with the chemist closing, he was upset to find he鈥檇 forgotten his wallet. Typical student. Or 鈥� just someone鈥檚 child, flustered and in need of help. A lady noticed, stepped in, and paid it for him. My wife and I shed a small tear of thanks when we heard.

We鈥檙e determined to pay that kindness forward, but in light of the powerful word we heard this week from Nottingham, we remember it鈥檚 not about the warm fuzzy feeling we might get as a result - but that the choice to love, wherever we find ourselves, can bring good news when there seems to be none.

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