Do you remember the ‘Bruce almighty’ comedy film? Bruce believes he can do a better job than God if he is allowed to answer people’s prayers. Of course it doesn’t work out that well! That was followed by ‘Evan almighty’, another blockbuster comedy. Evan prays that he will be able to change the world for the better. He has just been elected to the U.S Congress and wants to make a difference. The answer he gets from God is that he can change the world, but not in Congress, instead he is to practice acts of random kindness. The film takes a very bizarre twist when God tells him to build an ARK. Yes, It’s all about saving the world through Acts of Random Kindness.

I won’t explain the plot, but it might be a good choice for the Coln film club! Here is a definition of ARK.

‘An act of random kindness is giving your best self to others without requests or promise of return on investment. It’s simply doing something nice for someone else, without them asking and without you doing it for anything in return.’

Dido and Elizabeth

A celebrated act of random kindness is the subject of this week’s painting thought to be by Joseph Zoffany. (1779). The painting is unique in 18th century art to portray a coloured woman and a white woman as equals. The two girls are cousins. The name of the coloured girl is Dido Elizabeth Belle, her cousin is Elizabeth Murray. Dido is the child of an English naval officer, John Lindsay, and a slave girl, Maria Belle, captured from a Spanish warship. On returning to England Dido was put in the care of the naval captain’s uncle, Lord Mansfield, Lord Chief Justice. Later in his career Lord Mansfiled, in a landmark ruling in 1772, declared slavery did not exist in English common law. The case was used in the Abolitionist campaign to abolish slavery throughout the British empire. At the time it was thought that Mansfield’s personal experience of raising Dido Belle influenced his decision. This act of random kindness changed the world!

Rewards and recognition

We are used to a culture of rewards and recognition for work done or of achievements that contribute to society. There is nothing wrong with that but it is not the principle on which God’s Kingdom works. Jesus talks about ‘rewards’, but here the meaning of reward is a relationship of love. God’s Kingdom works on the basis of gift and grace. That is to use the language of ARK, ‘Giving your best self to others without requests or promise of return on investment’

Jesus talks about a culture of relationships built by a mutual giving of oneself, one of gift and grace:

‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcome the one who sent me’ Matt 10:40

Maybe the best way to think of the difference is to compare the giving of a school prize and a birthday present. One is given for achievement, the other is to recognise a relationship of love. The key word here is ‘Receive’. ‘whoever receives me… he will not lose his reward.’

The culture of gift and grace is to value a person not because of what they can give to us but because of what I can give to them. The most precious gift a person can receive is the gift of love and acceptance.

I once experienced this as a community worker in charge of a team of unemployed young men. They were very marginalised and never ‘fitted in’, but we took them away on a camping holiday with lots of other young people. On the campsite we all wore t-shirts and sandals and no one stood out as odd or poor. In a week we were all muddy and smelly and it didn’t matter! The change in the young men was amazing. Love and acceptance liberates a person to be who they truly are. It also changes us. Here is a list of the benefits (Rewards) to our health that an act of random kindness gives back to us:

Taken from the Positive Psychology website.

Recipients of kindness can feel loved. Recipients and givers of kindness can experience a sense of awe when they think about profound acts of love or virtue. Whether you are recipient or giver or merely just a witness you can feel the benefits of an increase in oxytocin. Oxytocin is commonly called the “love hormone” and this helps to lower blood pressure, improve overall heart health, increase self-esteem and optimism. Kindness can increase the feeling of strength and energy due to helping others. Kindness can also make one feel calmer. Less depressed. Increased feelings of self-worth. For those that volunteer their time or money for charitable causes, they often have fewer aches and pains. Kindness is most similar to a medical antidepressant. Kindness pushes your body to produce serotonin, which is commonly known as the “feel-good” chemical that provides healing and calming feelings. Kindness decreases pain, by generating endorphins (the brain’s natural painkiller). Stress, it has been shown that people that are more kind have 23% less cortisol (the stress hormone) and age slower than the average population. Anxiety, the University of British Columbia did a study on a group of highly anxious individuals in which they performed at least 6 acts of kindness a week. After one month, there was a significant increase in positive moods, relationship satisfaction and a decrease in social avoidance in socially anxious individuals. Depression is reduced, mortality is delayed, and wellbeing and good fortune are improved when we give of ourselves. Lowering blood pressure from giving acts of kindness, creates emotional warmth, which releases a hormone known as oxytocin. Oxytocin causes the release of a chemical called nitric oxide, which dilates the blood vessels. This reduces blood pressure, and therefore, oxytocin is known as a “cardioprotective” hormone. It protects the heart by lowering blood pressure.

Dido eventually married and had children of her own, the rest is history!

Prayer for Ukraine

God of peace and justice we pray

for the people of Ukraine today,

and the laying down of weapons.

we pray for all those who fear for tomorrow,

that your spirit of comfort would draw near to them.

We pray for those with power over war and peace,

for wisdom, discernment, and compassion to guide their decisions

Above all, we pray for all your precious children at risk and in fear,

That you would hold and protect them.

We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Amen

Rev Simon Brignall

I am contactable from Thursday to Sunday.