If you haven’t noticed lately, we currently seem to be living in a world where some people have chosen to always put themselves first and in front of others.
Whether it is in the name of their family, their business, or their religion, this seems to run afoul of what we believe is truly humane. Those who call themselves “Christians” and defend an Administration that discriminates, supports white supremacy, separates families, and steals from others, does not make sense. We have grown tired of the word Christian because it does not mean what it was intended to mean.
Pure Christian teachings are about love, such as “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and “Love your enemies, while also encouraging forgiveness.”
Pastors have joked for years that many people go to church to be “hatched, matched, and dispatched”. In other words – baptisms, weddings, and funerals.
For many years, we have attended church functions for only those reasons.
- In the 1990’s, 14% of Americans asserted no religion.
- In 2012, it increased to 20%
- and, by 2016, 25% claimed no formal religious identity.
So, you might wonder, why are people young and old leaving the church and their religion in droves?
Could this be because the church has lost direction, abused its power and failed the true message and, as a result, has now become irrelevant? Maybe it’s time to replace negative and judgmental religious viewpoints with practical teachings, such as the 2Gals4Peace basic principles of Kindness, Compassion, and Courage.
We think that it is time to initiate the Free Act of Kindness Endeavor.
We call it “free” because it costs nothing to be kind to others. For instance, you can rescue an animal, befriend an older person or try and understand a younger one. Isn’t it time to reach out and not retreat, to initiate rather than wait, to feel rather than harden? Isn’t this what makes us feel valuable as humans and makes us humane?
2Gals4Peace would like to challenge you to perform at least one act of kindness a day.
It need not cost you anything. You could smile at a passerby; speak to someone kindly; hold a door; pick up a piece of trash; offer to walk a sick neighbor’s or friend’s dog; say thank you to those you encounter; nod your head and recognize those who do small jobs; or let a driver into the line of traffic. You might be amazed at how you feel doing these acts of kindness. You might also find that this is contagious. Don’t be surprised if the person you are kind to is also surprised and hopefully pleased!
Let us know what act of kindness you did and how it felt. Was there an immediate response? Send it to [email protected] and we will post your response and share your experience. We hope to hear from you.
Be Kind – Andrea & Maggie
This article reminds me of people who have been kind and supportive of me throughout my life journey… my family, teachers, friends… And random strangers. One lady bought me a bowl of soup when she noticed that I didn’t have enough money to pay for it. All she asked for is that I return a favor when I see someone else in need. Kindness is reciprocal. So, who knows, maybe when you are buying your next Starbucks and you are short on change, your coffee is on me.
Wow…what a wonderful story, Julia! It is very touching and made me realize even more how much I miss my wonderful friend. You are the epitome of kindness so we are so glad that you read the post. Thanks so much!