“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
Gabriel Clark is a young boy with a love and talent for working with wood. Gabriel spends hours in the workshop. He has a talent for making wonderful creations from a block of wood. Gabriel makes cutting boards and bowls. Recently, he decided to use his gift of working with wood to help the refugees who are fleeing from their war-ravaged country. Gabriel decided that he would sell the bowls and donate the profits to help child refugees of Ukraine.
Gabriel went to work. His dad, Richard, was extremely proud of his son’s efforts and willingness to help others. Richard went to social media and asked his friends to order a bowl. Richard’s friends were excited about the project. They put in orders and shared the post on several social media platforms. It did not take long for the posts to go viral. Orders poured in from all around the world. Eventually, Gabriel received over 20,000 orders for bowls.
The orders kept pouring in to Gabriel. He quickly knew that he would not be able to make over 20,000 bowls. After talking with his family, Gabriel announced that he would make one bowl that would be auctioned off to those who would donate to help the refugees. This announcement was met with great enthusiasm. Over 15,000 people donated. Over $313,000 were raised in a short period of time.
Gabriel’s bowl was awarded to a winner. The winner’s name was Renuka. When Renuka was interviewed, she gave a wonderful quote. “When Gabriel rang to let me know I’d won the bowl, I was completely overwhelmed. I’ve never won a single thing before! This bowl will be one of my most treasured possessions. It represents hope, compassion, and kindness.”
Our world is filled with many terrible and destructive forces. Recently, we have seen terrible destruction in Ukraine. We have watched as the citizens of Ukraine have fled for their safety. They have lost so much. Gabriel’s simple act of kindness has brought a great blessing to the children who have had their lives turned upside down by evil. Gabriel reminds us all today that what our world truly needs is love, expressed in kindness and compassion. Like Gabriel, we can share God’s love when we offer our gifts and passion to help our neighbors in need.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
