Advent Practice: Random Acts of Kindness & Peace

He has told you what is good; and what the Lord requires of you:

but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas: a time to prepare joyfully for Christ’s return and his reign. By reflecting on our lives in the light of God’s Word, we recognize the direction in which our present values and habits are leading us, and see that many places in our lives need to be changed. We further recognize that only the action of God can make that change in us. In the words of the Collect for the First Sunday of Advent, it is God who enables us “to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light” (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 211).

We recognize that God did not redeem us in a vacuum, apart from human participation. God brought about the Incarnation of the Son through the cooperation of Mary with the life-giving Spirit. Furthermore, Mary’s vocation is not only to bear the God incarnate, but also to be the pattern for us as we become “God-bearers” by means of following her example of cooperation with the divine grace. (from APLM)

This Advent you are invited to live out your vocation as a God-bearer, to help share the light in the midst of darkness.  On December 14, 2012 a terrible tragedy took place in Newtown.  Let's honor the memory of all those who lost their lives and all the families whose lives have been turned upside down by acting with kindness and peace for Advent as we approach Christmas. (Thank you to the Schill family for this wonderful idea of honoring their memory and to continue this wonderful practice of giving such acts of love in the midst of such terrible hate.)

We will begin the day before Thanksgiving. Wednesday, November 27 – The first of 28 days…

On 27 of those days, we remember the victims who died last December and their families.  We honor their memory, we act with love, and we practice our random acts of kindness and peace.

On 1 of those days, we remember the one who chose hate over love, who acted cruelly to the innocent BUT we do not let his act be the last word, for we honor all those helpers (the first responders) and all those who sought to bring healing to the community of Newtown.  We choose to act with love.  Consider writing to someone who has wronged you and forgive them; write to someone in prison or jail; talk civilly with a person at work or play that you always disagree with; write and give thanks to a first responder; in whatever way you choose, by your action, you can help bring more love into this world.

In a world filled with too much tragedy, too much hate, it’s up to us to be the change we want to see in the world (as Gandhi would put it).  If we are to be ready to receive the Christ child once again at Christmas, let us take these days to ready our hearts through loving, peaceful and kind actions toward our neighbors.

Join us and be God-bearers to our world today!

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.