by Jered Weber-Johnson
“Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
Luke 6:30-31
Every winter our family creates kindness bags, little packets with gloves, socks, granola bars, chapstick, and other bits of hospitality. We keep them in the car and distribute them at interstate offramps or intersections along with whatever cash we have on hand to folks who are there asking for support. It’s by no means the solution to poverty or an answer to systemic injustice, but it feels important to do something when a neighbor in need asks for help—even if that neighbor is miles from our house and someone I’ve never met. My kids appreciate the practice too, and are always on the lookout for the next recipient of a kindness bag.
When the world around us says that handouts create dependency, and charity disincentivizes work, it helps to have the words of Jesus, and the encouragement of my children, and the forethought to pack a kindness bag – because it’s what I’d hope others would do for me if I was on that intersection.
Wild Ginger – Asarum canadense
These photographs, shared each day during Lent, capture the beauty of plants native to the Upper Midwest. As we spend time in Lenten reflection, these images of new life can remind us daily of our calling to be caretakers of God’s Creation.
Photo by Jo Anna Hebberger
