Simple Acts of Kindness

It is a hot and dry summer and the world feels heavy to me.  The cycle of bad news and aggression seems relentless, the tragedies affecting our fellow humans so great and then there are the griefs we carry, the quiet worries we can’t or don’t speak aloud.  The thickness of smoke that recently blanketed our air, and the terrible loss that the fires wrought, were a reminder that life can be heavy, uncertain and fragile. 

Stories of simple kindness help to clear the air.  I was reminded of this watching the tennis recently: it was a hot day at the Australian Open and one of the ball girls became unsteady on her feet.  We could see that she corrected herself but then started to sway again.  The tennis player, Zeynep Sonmez, also saw what happened and immediately went to her aid.  The match was halted for a short period as the ball girl was treated.  We can imagine how this young woman must have felt, unwell of course, but also embarrassed!  And into this moment, the tennis player stopped what she was doing, was attentive to the distress of the ball-girl and helped her. 

And I think because I am feeling the heaviness of the world, I find myself surprised by these simple kind acts!  The driver who opens a space for another car in the midst of traffic.  The patience of a sales attendant with a demanding customer.  The trades person who goes beyond what they were called to do with an act of unexpected service.  A smile in the street.  Simple acts of kindness can lighten a heavy world. 

Our lives are full of stories of people who act in simple and brave ways.  They remind us that it is ok for us to have hearts that bruise and stretch because they keep beating anyway.  Perhaps the heaviness tells us that we care – that we are connected, that we are awake to what matters and to the suffering of our fellow humans.  And I am reminded that although the world may feel heavy, it is not the same as feeling hopeless.  It is simply the sign that we are living in a world that aches for healing.  

2026 marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi.  It is a reminder to us of the profound impact of spiritual legacy.  In St Francis we find someone who embraced a simple life, who was attuned to nature and its seasons and who had a voice for peace and dialogue.  History tells us that in 1219, during the Fifth Crusade, St Francis of Assisi crossed the battle lines at Damietta (Egypt) to meet the Sultan, al-Malik al-Kamil, the nephew of Saladin.  It is one of the earliest recorded interfaith encounters between Christian and Muslim leaders that emphasised dialogue instead of violence.  The meeting has come to be seen as an example of both peace building and courageous diplomacy.  St Francis entered the Muslim camp without weapons risking execution.  Instead of punishing him, we learn, al-Kamil welcomed him with hospitality and respect.  At a time of a brutal religious war the two leaders met and spoke about faith and peace. 

In recognition of St Francis’ anniversary Pope Leo has proclaimed 2026 a special Franciscan Jubilee year.  It aims to honour both St Francis’ legacy and to inspire in us a desire to follow the way of St Francis – a person ‘strong in faith, steadfast in hope and ardent in active charity’.  (Pope Leo, January 2026).

And I can’t help but notice how closely these align with the Lenten call to which we will be invited to respond in the next few days.  A call to prayer and a more generous and simpler way of life. 

So, if the world is feeling heavy, it is a reminder that we are not lifting it alone.  We can place one foot on the ground, feel its steadiness, and remember that we walk with others: our ancestors in faith, Jesus and the One from whom all our blessings flow a loving and merciful God. 

And in our own ways, we can choose to clear the air with small acts of kindness, moments of gentleness, and honest prayer.  And perhaps that will be enough to shift the weight, even slightly.  Perhaps that is the start of healing in our fractured world – the world into which our God still speaks through us.  May our way of discipleship be one of kindness and peace. 

Lord, make me a channel of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be
consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen

Attributed to St Francis of Assisi. 

By Cathy Jenkins