Ordered Acts of Kindness - Loving my NeighbourPeter Stanley - 21 May 2011

In 24-7 Prayer there is a growing chatter about spreading justice; showing a needy world a demonstration of God’s heart. Justice, as God describes it, is  linked with mercy and compassion; it is  love in public, it is random (and ordered) acts of kindness, like giving a tin of chocolates to a group of lonely neighbours… 

Last Christmas my wife and I felt God encouraging us to go round to our neighbours to give them a gift. I knocked on their door to apologise for the recent noisy building work we’d had done and offered them a tin of chocolates as a happy Christmas gift. I had never met them before as they were workers at the nearby hotel, which owned the house they were in. A Malaysian man opened the door and beamed when he saw what I was doing. He called his friends and they all insisted on shaking my hands repeatedly and saying “we so happy, we so happy, merry Christmas.” Their response was quite overwhelming and showed that no-one had knocked on their door like this before. I went back home and told my family. Then there was a knock on our door and it was the three hotel workers from next door. Again hands were shaken and more “I so happy, I so happy, merry Christmas.” And they handed me a bottle of vintage brandy worth a small fortune. Clearly, living in England was a lonely life for them and our simple act of kindness touched hearts in an unexpected way. We have since agreed to have a meal together and look forward to more handshakes!

The impact of a simple gift of chocolates was something no-one expected, yet it was so right. If we listen to God’s heart and let him give us his compassion for those around us, who knows what we will kick off? Lets, together, ask God to show us acts of kindness that will give people hope and humanity; that will show a needy world that there is a God who cares.