One act of random kindness.

I watched Evan Almighty again a couple of weekends ago.  You know, you know – I think Steve Carell is fabulous.  Blah, blah, blah.  Remember how I said I would probably always promote Carell movies?  I wasn’t lyin’.  Not only is he a brilliant actor, he has this touchable quality about him.  I think he really does put his pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us.  Unlike the Brad Pitts of the world.  No doubt, he doesn’t. 

In the movie, Morgan Freeman, who plays the Almighty himself, appears to Evan (Carell), telling him that the way to change the world is by doing one Act of Random Kindness (“ARK”) at a time; the film’s central message.

When I look at the vast poverty that exists in our local community and around the world, it can be overwhelming.  So overwhelming that I sometimes think that unless I can eliminate the entire epidemic in one fail swoop, doing what I can is useless. 

The key is to not close our eyes and deem it overwhelming.  Then, we become blind to even help just the one…..then the two….and so on and so forth. 

God has called you and I to be hope, to be refuge and bring healing to a hurting society – one at a time. 

But, so often we ignore cries for help.  We look at the mass destruction of a Katrina and become….overwhelmed.  We get too busy with our own Christmas lists that we overlook the children on the Salvation Army’s radar who will go without. 

That’s why the story of the widow’s mite is so touching.  The Pharisees mocked her giving – one mite.  But Jesus explained, “This poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything -all she had to live on.”  Mark 12:43-44

Want to change the world?  Want to live beyond yourself?  We can.  One act of random kindness at a time. 

“Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you.”   – St. Augustine of Hippo