What kind of world do you want?

February 2024 · Forward in Hope

Yesterday, individuals with guns opened fire during Kansas City’s celebration of the Chiefs’ recent Super Bowl victory, killing one and injuring 20. At this point, police believe the shootings resulted from a personal dispute among several people. At least two of the suspects are juveniles, and more than half of the injured are children.

Unfortunately, events like yesterday’s have almost become commonplace. So have fistfights on airplanes, online bullying, reckless driving, and social media outrage. It’s almost like we’re living in an Age of Rage.

Psychologists say anger results from fear, anxiety, worry, and despair. Many of us experienced those feelings during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we still seem to be dealing with them in the aftermath. But we can’t blame it all on COVID. This Age of Rage has been building for quite some time, and it will persist and deepen until we address the causes and choose to act differently.

What to do, what to do …

We can begin by resisting the rage in the world.

February 17 is Random Act of Kindness Day, set aside to celebrate kindness and to make it the norm, rather than the exception.

As Brooke Jones, vice president of The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, says, “Humans spend so much time and energy focusing on the negatives that affect us. When a moment of kindness appears, it’s as if a fog has been lifted… just for a moment … what if we started being intentional about not only noticing and absorbing when they happen to us, but creating those moments for others? What if we made it a point to go slightly outside of our comfort zone at least once a day to make someone smile? To share a compliment with a co-worker or friend? To reach out to a family member we haven’t spoken to in a while? What if we stopped thinking about them as random acts of kindness and started thinking about them as intentional acts of kindness?”

Ultimately, we each must ask ourselves, “What kind of world do I want? What kind of world do I hope to leave for my children and grandchildren?” We can create that world, but it takes intention.

And we can start anytime – as an act of resistance against the rage that threatens families, communities, our country, and our planet.

Is there room in your day to practice intentional kindness? Is there room in your day to join the resistance?