Kindness Is Like Water

Seeds, Water, and What Makes Things Grow

Kindness is like water. You know how water makes things grow and keeps things growing. Well, kindness is a little bit like that.

Think about seeds. Some seeds are really big, and others are so tiny you almost can't see them. But what happens when a seed lands on the ground? There are a number of possibilities. Maybe an ant will come and carry it away. Maybe a bird will spot it and snatch it up. And that's the end of the seed — it just gets eaten.

But what could happen to make a difference for that seed sitting on the ground? It might rain, or someone might go out and water it. And then — a miracle! The seed bursts open, it grows, and it turns into a plant. Because water makes things grow. Water helps seeds to sprout.

Kindness Does Things for People

That's why we say water is like kindness. When you show kindness, it does things for people. It makes things grow. It makes them feel better.

Can you remember when people have been kind to you — your mum or your dad, or your friends? What does it feel like? It feels good, doesn't it? It's healing. It helps us. It makes us go green, if you like.

When people in the ancient world talked about kindness, they often said it's like water.

Baptism: A Symbol of God's Kindness

In the church, we have baptism — with little babies sometimes, and sometimes adults. We put a bit of water on their forehead, or sometimes we put them right under the water. That's a way of saying this very thing. Water is a symbol. God's kindness also makes things grow. God's kindness is good for us.

Partners in Kindness

That's what water can do — it can make things grow. That's what kindness can do too. And that's why we talk about God's kindness, God's love.

God says, "I want you to be not only receiving my kindness — I want you to be partners with me in showing my kindness to others. I want you to be kind to yourself, because some people find that hard to do. I want you to love yourself the way I love you. I want you to love others the way I love you. I want you to join with me in being bearers of kindness in our world."

So that's the message to take home. Go and play with seeds, see how they grow. Put some water on them. Don't let the ants take them or the birds snatch them away. And have a good day.