Abounding in Kindness

 

1. prayer

Help me to live your goodness and kindness each day. Remind me that my actions express who I am even more than my words. May I love as you love. Let me be good to those who wish me harm, forgive those who need forgiveness, and reach out in kindness to all I meet so they can experience the unconditional love of God.

2. meditation 

https://youtu.be/pitV-DlcrcE?si=Iykjub1Dm4Vfrvsx

3  song

https://youtu.be/BbXjgwDHNpQ?si=bQDYaUTDs3ifJaBg

4. Narrative

Abounding in Kindness

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Theologian Elizabeth Johnson summarizes the prophetic path as following a merciful God who abounds in kindness:

Abounding in kindness, the holy mystery of God is love beyond imagining. Not enough people seem to know this, even those who practice the Christian religion. But the drumbeat of this good news resounds throughout the history of ancient Israel where, from the start of their liberation from slavery, people encountered “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). The drumbeat becomes unmistakably intense in Jesus Christ who preached and enacted divine compassion in startling ways, all the way to the cross and beyond. Its volume ramps up in the church wherever this word is heard and practiced amid the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of people of this age.

This is not a word that returns to its Maker empty. Working creatively for peace amid horrific violence; struggling for justice in the face of massive poverty and military oppression; advocating ecological wholeness for the earth’s life-giving systems and stressed-out species; educating the young and the old; healing the sick and comforting those in despair; creating beauty; taking joy in nourishing children; promoting freedom for captives: the list could go on because the needs are enormous. Even a simple cup of cold water given in Christ’s name symbolizes how the abounding kindness of God becomes effective in this world. [1]

For Johnson, God’s compassion and solidarity for those who are suffering requires us to show the same:

If the heart of divine mystery is turned in compassion toward the world, then devotion to this God draws persons into the shape of divine communion with all others: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). To deny one’s connection with the suffering needs of others is to detach oneself from divine communion.

The praxis of mercy is propelled by this dynamic. So too is committed work on behalf of peace, human rights, economic justice, and the transformation of social structures. For those who engage in this work out of deep contemplative experience, it is far from mere activism or simple good deeds. Rather, solidarity with those who suffer, being there with commitment to their flourishing, is the locus of encounter with the living God. Through what is basically a prophetic stance, one shares in the passion of God for the world.…

The preferential option for the poor must now include the vulnerable, voiceless, nonhuman species and the ravaged natural world itself, all of which are kin to humankind. Loving these neighbors as their very selves, committed religious persons develop moral principles, political structures, and lifestyles that promote other creatures’ thriving and halt their exploitation. For the prophetic passion flowing from contemplative insight, action on behalf of justice for the earth participates in the compassionate care of the Creator God who wills the glorious well-being of the whole interdependent community of life. [2]

References:

[1] Elizabeth A. Johnson, introduction to Abounding in Kindness: Writings for the People of God (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2015), viii.

[2] Johnson, Abounding in Kindness, 47–48.

5  meditation 

https://youtu.be/c8n3LtQygEc?si=WVfdc2Q-HfYhv_Fy

6  sharing

7  prayers and intentions 

Dear God, I come before you today with a humble heart and a desire to be more like you. Fill me with your Spirit of kindness and compassion so that I may be a light to those around me. Help me to remember Philippians 2:3 as I go about my day. Remind me to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but to value others above myself.

Lord, I know that kindness is not always easy, especially when I encounter difficult people or situations. I pray that you would give me the strength and wisdom to respond with grace and love. May I be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

I also ask that you would help me to see the needs of those around me. Sometimes people are hurting, and they don’t know how to ask for help. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear so that I can be a source of comfort and support to those in need.

As I go about my day, I pray that you would help me to be intentional about showing kindness to others. Whether it’s a smile, a kind word, or a simple act of service, may I be a reflection of your love and grace.

Finally, Lord, I ask that you would bless me with a heart of gratitude. Help me to recognize the blessings in my life and to be thankful for them. May my gratitude overflow into acts of kindness and generosity toward others.

Thank you, God, for your love and grace. I pray that you would help me to be more like you each day. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

8  song  

https://youtu.be/T5Y8s-Sz_ac?si=0rkHP5-G_tVwd5LB