14th August 2024

Did you see the recent news article naming Bristol as the kindest city in the UK ? This came out of “The Movement for Good Awards” run by an organisation which gives donations based on nominations from the public. They received 40,000 nominations from Bristol residents this year.

It is often said (especially of children, but I think it is more generally applicable) that people meet our expectations of them – so we shouldn’t set those expectations too low! Wouldn’t it be amazing if Bristol residents became kinder, because Bristol has been reported to be a kind city? Conversely, I wonder what can be done to turn things around for districts, towns and cities which don’t enjoy such a good reputation? It strikes me that we need to be careful with the language we use, as the labels we apply to individuals or groups can have a bigger impact than perhaps we might at first realise.

In the workplace, when the pressure goes up, it can be all too easy to abandon kindness in the face of frustrations. However, those can be just the situations in which a kind word or gesture is even more important. Recently I had cause to accompany someone on their hospital journey from assessment to admission and finally treatment. Things didn’t go entirely smoothly, and it wasn’t an easy experience. Rather wonderfully though, the stress and uncertainty were made more tolerable by all the kindnesses of the hospital staff – it was really impressive and heartening.

We are exhorted to “Put on… compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience” (Colossians 3:12).

Ruth Allen