More Kindness Please

My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. – 1 John 3:18-19

It’s a new year. A chance to start again. An opportunity to make the world a different place, a better, kinder place. Last year saw far too many mass shootings, heightened racial tensions, political and religious divisiveness and a rise in hate crimes.

So, let’s start again. And let’s start with kindness. A kindness born of genuine love. And not a shallow, “warm-and-fuzzy” kind of love, but a love that is inspired by and sourced from the crucified and risen Christ.

Take a moment and watch this short video. It’s a painful reminder of the broken and sinful world in which we live, but it can also inspire us to live differently

How can you live out greater kindness, greater love this year? Who do you struggle to be kind to? Start there. Start now.

Jeff Marian serves as lead pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, MN