“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” – Micah 6:8
There are few ways to make a greater impact on the world than to be kind to other people. It seems so simple, but our kindness makes a significant impact on the people around us. When we are kind, it promotes kindness in others. When we are kind, it encourages others to be kind. Kindness brings joy. Kindness is contagious.
The people of London and the company KIND Snacks wanted to honor kindness in Great Britain. They asked the people of London to nominate a person who made a difference through their kindness. Many people were nominated as a tribute to their kindness, but it was Jo Newby who was mentioned more than any other person. You may not have heard of Jo Newby, but she has had an immense impact on the lives of so many people. Jo has, to date, been the foster mom of 92 children. WOW! Over the course of 20 years, she has welcomed children into her home, and given them a place where they would come to know that someone truly loved and cared for them. Her work has offered hope to so many.
To care for 92 children is a monumental task. Jo did more than that. She also started a football league (“soccer” to us here in the United States) for children with disabilities. Jo not only opened her home so that children could have a place to belong, but she also helped to open the playing field so that all children would have a place to compete.
When the nominations for the Kindness Hero opened, it was Jo’s husband, Chris, who led the way in nominating her for the award. Chris is the constant witness of Jo’s kindness. He wanted to honor her. When Jo was interviewed, she first offered her gratitude to her husband and then said, “The world is so full of sadness and anger, I just want people to see what an impact kindness has on others.”
The past few weeks, our St. Luke’s sermon series has been “Finding Joy.” It has been a wonderful and inspirational series. We all want to experience joy. We want to share joy with the people around us. I believe a good start is kindness. Like Jo, we have the ability to impact others’ lives with our kindness. When we are intentional about being kind to others, we will find joy. When we are intentional about being kind to others, we will share joy.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
