A Word About Personal Kindness

By REV. JIM PURCELL

People are a blessing to one another mostly. The Lord, no matter who one's Lord is, made people to be social: People need other people. Perhaps it is kindness that makes the world actually go around then, one soul imparting some small bit of humanity to the next as the day travels through its course.

Money sure doesn't make the world go around, I learned that one after about a half-century. Love of money will ruin a man or woman, the love of it might just send someone to hell and there is nothing in the world money makes go around, rest assured. Money makes the world go around as much as liquor or drugs do.

I do not bring up kindness because I am as kind as I want; I may not be as kind as the next fellow either. In fact, sometimes I've been downright mean with little provocation. There have been times, like everyone else, I have made an ass out of myself, been cruel, because of my own weakness; my own failings.

But, I am a firm believer that every morning presents us with a new day; a new chance to become a better person. Indeed, the morning allows us to rise from sleep and again try and make our mark on the world. With Grace by our side it will surely be a better mark than a day without Grace by one's side. People err, certainly I add my name to that number, and as much as one may feel sorrow about what happened yesterday, one cannot and must not allow sorrows of the past to lay the groundwork for the next day given us.

Each day is a gift and should be treated like that, despite the fact that people often do not, said the sinner.

Even if, one morning or one day, we behaved badly, created conflict with someone or gave into anger for its own sake, one cannot dwell on it. The road to dwelling on dark things is paved with more bad things ahead. Walk away from dark roads and greet the new day with a smile. Try and welcome peace and joy into one's heart first thing. Have peace and joy with your morning cereal. Work to maintain it through the day: Do good for others as best you can. You will fall short more times than you ever dreamed of, because we are frail and weak people made only from flesh and bone, raised from the clay and destined to return to it. Regardless of our age or place in humanity, each of us is only a fragile copy of our Lord's image with just the merest speck of God's greatness and love -- but we are each just working with a speck of it.

People fail. They were born to try and not succeed until one day, one joyous day they may get something right, despite all of the failings of humanity.

Yes, people fail. People do wrong. People injure others, and every now and again there is no saying 'I am sorry' anymore, for whatever reason. There is a lot of wisdom in the Alcoholics Anonymous program; wisdom in life and not just recovery. The group has a simple credo: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference." Words to live by and a mighty thought.

Is there room for reconciliation in the world? Certainly. It is a large enough world for that, except, I believe, where contact with people one may have injured only injures them more, or in situations where doing so would injure one's self in some way.It is an uneven path we walk, at best, in life.

I say try and make every day a new beginning, complete with the real possibility each of us might just finish that day a better person than when it began. Instead of living in regrets, make the choice to create new beginnings and accept the world for what it is, without trying to change it to make yourself more comfortable in some ways.

People are entitled to be angry with us, resentful of us and, in some cases, they might just have a gosh darn good reason to feel that way. I say wish these people well in your heart. We are on this earth for just a moment...anger is the least attractive of all the sights to behold here.  For those one might have injured, I say wish them all the light and love they can find, and keep your own eyes fixed on the now and all the wonderful possibilities 'now' offers you.