Moments of Kindness: When strangers are kind.     I have never met Gemma (name changed), but I am connected to her virtually. We occasionally speak on the telephone. Gemma and I were members of a Bible study group, and she was the leader of the group. Gemma is prayerful, supportive, and kind. I published a book of poems in December 2023 and shared the good news with the Bible study group. Gemma, being the kind of person that she is bought copies of the book for all 16 to 17 members of the group. I was dumbstruck. This was the greatest act of kindness that I have experienced in the 61 years of my life. We have yet to meet in person. Kindness costs nothing. In fact, it said, “ If you can’t be anything, be kind.” There’s something beautiful about kindness from strangers. It is a reassurance that the goodness of humanity still exists and that the thread of human connection still holds. Kind gestures from people we may never see and who don’t know us or our stor...

  Xenial Living   In today’s world, fraught with negativity, bad blood, and bloodshed and where technology overshadows genuine connections and relationships, we could do well by adopting a Xenial way of life. The word xenial is derived from the ancient Greek words xenos , meaning stranger or guest, and xenia, meaning hospitality. Xenial living is therefore a personal philosophy or a culture of openness, friendliness and mutual respect. Besides celebrating the bond between host and guest, xenial living also applies largely to how we interact with our community.  In a nutshell, Xenial living is about opening up our homes to friends and strangers (a little cautious with strangers) and creating physical and emotional spaces where people are seen, valued, and welcomed. It’s not about extravagant dinners or picture-perfect homes but about rustling up a meal even from leftovers for unexpected guests, inviting them to stay in our slightly messy home, and just being ...