A random act of violence in a neighborhood results in stray bullets ripping through the walls of a child’s bedroom in the middle of the night.
A series of random storm fronts converge, creating a powerful superstorm that destroys life and property over several states. A construction crane tumbles to the ground on a windy day, randomly crushing four unsuspecting persons.
The word “random” defines many of the occurrences in our lives. Without pattern and lacking regularity, these and many other arbitrary events pop out of nowhere, wreaking havoc in the lives of folks who are in the wrong spot at the wrong time.
You may have heard that a student in the Lakota School District recently took their life. While it was random, it is not rare. According to the CDC, suicide rates have increased by 30% since 1999.
Far too many of our youth – and adults – are overwhelmed by hopelessness and see no options. If you, or someone you love, is in a place of despair, please use these numbers and links:
o 24-Hour Suicide Text Line: text “4 Hope” to 741741
o Butler County 24-Hour Mobile Crisis Line: 1-844-4CRISIS (1-844-427-4747)
o Resources for Grief
o National Suicide Hotline
o Parent Resource
o Columbia Community Card for Teens
o www.nami.org
Thankfully, there are many other chance moments that happen around us every day, which are grounded in kindness and can impact and transform our perspective. In my own life, I’ve pulled up to the toll booth on the Turnpike, only to realize that the person in front of me already paid my way. After saying, “We’re ready for our check” at a restaurant, Tera and I discovered that our bill had already been paid by the couple sitting across the aisle who commented on our well-behaved children – Thank goodness for that random moment of peace at the dinner table.
Each of us already provides all sorts of planned moments of kindness to each day. We offer encouragement to a friend, pack a lunch for a loved one, and share treats with co-workers. In addition, countless random acts of kindness appear to be no big deal and may even resemble what many call manners: holding a door, helping someone load groceries into their vehicle, or offering a word of hope when someone is discouraged. But if you have ever been on the receiving end, you know that even the smallest act of kindness can transform your day. A brief moment of unpredictable generosity has the power to turn someone’s life inside out.
This spontaneity of giving is built into the fabric of our Christian lives. Random acts of kindness are a taste of that unmerited and undeserved favor that we call grace. They don’t happen after a judgment is made of someone’s worth to be a receiver, but are freely given out of love. The Holy Spirit is constantly stirring in our hearts and souls, ready to spur us at any moment to reach out with a gentle hand or kind word.
All too often, we stifle that impulse, afraid of how others might respond. The invitation in Romans 12 is a helpful challenge to us as we move forward in love: “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor… serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.”
During this Easter season, we celebrate the promises of resurrection. Jesus bursts into our confusion and paralysis, bringing restoration and showing us a way forward.
May is Mental Health Month. During this month, and always, let us cling to God’s promises and be living examples of kindness, sharing love freely and honoring the life with which we have been blessed.
Trusting in Resurrection!
Pastor Lowell Michelson