Of all the lessons I’ve ever learned, I’m grateful to those who demonstrated kindness and instilled a love for all of humanity within me. In my young life, Christian values had more to do with love and loving, rather than sin and fear of retribution. I could grow my capacity to care. And it felt good.
At a very young age, I learned about the kindness of St. Francis of Assisi, and participated in ripping sheets into bandages to send to leper colonies. It was empowering. And while the concepts of service to humanity or to the divine have transformed within me over the years, I know that the capacity to love and to care is something that can and should be practiced. The heart is indeed a muscle that can be stretched and can grow into a powerful resource. That is my anchor.
When the Pope chose the name of Francis, I hoped he would herald back a time when greed didn’t have such a hold on our lives. He didn’t disappoint. I don’t practice a faith, the hypocrisy is too much for me, but I was grateful as Pope Francis attempted to steer the ship back to the values of humanity that I hold in high regard. This is not meant to be a salute to Francis, but a salute to the qualities of human kind that we shared and that need to be uplifted now.
Today, we’re steeped in judgement on ourselves and others. We use it as a mile marker to determine our place in the arbitrary hierarchy we believe God has made for us. From the perspective of Love, this is a ridiculous grid to live by.
No two things can occupy the same space at the same time. Be occupied by Love.
let kindness win 