Doing 31 acts of kindness in memory of my brother, Adam, began as a way to transform my grief about his sudden and violent death into something beautiful and positive. I wanted my life to glorify God and I wanted to honor Adam’s legacy of kindness. I have spent the last ten years teaching about the transformational and redemptive power of kindness as expressed to us by God, through Christ. In Ephesians 2, there is a section of scripture that speaks of death - a type of spiritual death and separation from the one who created us. It goes on to talk about how we become alive through God’s grace which is expressed “IN HIS KINDNESS to us in Christ Jesus.”
Those of us who claim to follow Jesus cannot afford to be unkind. It is the crux of our faith, that God was kind. Kindness is not just niceties and pleasantries, kindness is salvific.
I spent Day 22 and 23 in NYC at a GAP Community training on Transformational Leadership. It was one of the most intense, fully immersive experiences of kindness I’ve ever experienced. It was full truth, and total love. It was the sort of kindness that gives life, the sort of kindness that saves people.
I can’t pinpoint specific acts of kindness during these two days, necessarily, but I showed up fully engaged, totally transparent and I fell completely in love with every person I met. I listened and held their stories with reverence and honor, I gave and received affirmation and redemptive feedback (and maaaaybe peppered in some jokes). I grew and I believe I supported others’ growth as well. It felt like spiritual life being breathed back into me. It felt like the type of love, truth, grace and kindness that saves.
#adamsacts
