Weekly Outlook - Believing in kindness

Dear readers,   On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 1914, there was a near-complete truce on the Western Front. German and British soldiers sang “O Come, All Ye Faithful” together in Latin. A few miles away, they met in no man’s land to share a cigarette. Down the line, Christmas feasts were shared, soccer games were played, and a joint funeral service was held. (For the full story, read here.)   I read this anecdote Tuesday morning in Dutch philosopher Rutger Bregman’s Humankind: A Hopeful History. Bregman believes humanity’s natural impulse is to be kind, to show compassion and empathy. He writes that collective structures, such as misguiding news and social policies, often create distance between us, preventing us from leaning into our kindness.   When I read the story of Christmas 1914, election polls were just opening, and Bregman’s optimism spoke to me. It made me believe that no matter the outcome of the election, this guidance – to have the courage to get to know our neighbor – was the way forward.   I am a different person today. I am heartbroken and disappointed. As a friend said in a text, “My optimism tank is empty.” I am giving myself permission to linger here for a little while, resisting the temptation to find a solution or jump straight into the spin zone. However, I am searching for something to cling to, and I am choosing to believe, as author Cole Arthur Riley wrote yesterday, that I was not foolish for hoping and that it is okay to feel grief.    Let us grant those who need to linger in our disappointment the grace to do so. Then, when we’re ready, might we all step out of our trenches to go meet our “enemies”? What would happen if we believed in the infectious power of kindness?   When we live with this generosity, we will be let down. But we will also create ripple effects of goodness. I think we will find that the more love we give, the more love we will have. “This is true of trust and friendship, and it’s true of peace,” writes Bergman. Perhaps this multiplying love is one of God’s greatest gifts, but it requires us to respond with a step forward. Peace, Rose Schrott Taylor Digital Content Editor

Crossing borders with song: A music and mission journey to the US-Mexico border by Greg Allen-Pickett The trauma in my bones by Chanequa Walker-Barnes Students, sense of normalcy, return to southeastern Presbyterian colleges after two hurricanes by Erin Booke Leading and preaching in the storm: (Re)locating ourselves faithfully amid trauma and chaos by Kimberly Wagner In case you missed it... Advent in the aftermath When time stands still after disaster, how do we mark the days? Pastor Esta Jarrett shares how a small mountain town tries to hold hope, gratitude, pain, and loss in the wake of Helene. PMA Board honors the Rev. Dr. Diane Givens Moffett at its final meeting As the power of relationships is celebrated, outgoing president and executive director praises board members as her ‘true siblings.’ — Emily Enders Odom New Interim Unified Agency of the PC(USA) takes next step in reimagining work going forward Planning process includes reconfiguring ministry work. — Rick Jones Bound by love to bear witness "It pains me to witness those I love in pain. But that is the nature of love, and its responsibility," writes Teri McDowell Ott. Young clergywoman gets more than $44,000 in student loans forgiven ‘If you’ve wondered if you are worth it, you are. Apply,’ advises the Rev. Blair Moorhead. — Beth Waltemath Poll chaplains and peacekeepers nationwide prepare to serve worried electorate This election season, faith leaders and volunteers are playing a vital role in protecting voters’ rights and supporting peaceful elections. — Caleb Maglaya Galaraga Revelation: Professing Christ Today In a world that frequently promotes hatred, hostility and division, discover Revelation’s call to embody God’s grace, generosity and forgiveness. A new Fresh Outlook study.

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