I'm on a personal retreat for a few days, so I'm inviting you, the reader, to write the blog yourself. You might consider what Jewel sings in her moving song "Hands" (by Jewel Kilcher and Patrick Leonard):

    "In the end, only kindness matters.
    In the end, only kindness matters.
    I will get down on my knees, and I will pray…"

I think of Jesus' ministry, and particularly what he says at the end of Matthew 25 about feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked and visiting those in prison. "Yes," he says, "Only kindness matters. And the way I extend that kindness is through you."

Feel free to respond to Jewel's words in the comments box below.

Text and image © 2010 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.