An act of random kindness…

It is true. There you go, that’s my confession, I basically preach one sermon and that is about kindness. What lies at the heart of every sermon I write is how God’s love is expressed in the world through human kindness.

These days, as Chaplain to the Crypt, I find my sermons mention how the Crypt is a place where God’s love shines through in simple acts of kindness, the acts of random kindness that change people’s lives.

A couple of weeks ago I preached at a local church, and afterwards at coffee, one of the parishioners came up to me and shared a story which deeply touched my heart.

His grandson had been having a hard time and in his desperation was considering leaving home and taking to the streets. In an effort to talk the situation through, the grandfather offered to take his grandson for a drive into the Dales so they could spend some time together and see if there was a safer path forward the young man could take.

As they started out in the car, the grandfather received a prompting from God that he should head towards Leeds, and more specifically the footbridge behind the Crypt that crosses over the Inner Ring Road.

There on the bridge, they met one of our friends who lives in a tent by the bridge. Our friend is well known to us, every morning, without fail, he taps on the boss’ window and presents us at the back door of the Crypt with his flasks.

Between the boss and myself we make him coffee (10 sugars per flask!) and find him some food. Our friend looks a lot older than his tender years, life has not treated him well. But he is happy living next to the bridge with his lovely canine companion.

So there on the bridge, the young man met our friend, who has been living on the streets for more years than he can remember. He spent the time with the young man telling him what life is really like on the streets and advising him to be kind to himself and stay at home.

The grandfather told me with tears in his eyes that the conversation on the bridge changed his grandson’s life.

So often God presents us with precious opportunities to show acts of random kindness, which have the potential to change someone’s life. Our friend on the bridge could have ignored the young man, yet he didn’t, he took the opportunity to spend time with him.

Spending a bit of time with someone isn’t rocket science and it doesn’t cost us the earth, it is a simple but gloriously beautiful act of kindness. Guess what… Jesus did it a lot.

*Reflections of Revd Andy Muckle, Chaplain to St George’s Crypt & Diocesan Chaplain to the Homeless in the Diocese of Leeds here: