How did you celebrate Mr. Rogers’ Day? I hope you had a chance to spend time with a neighbor.
Inspired by the marking of Mr. Rogers Day on March 20, the Advocate has spent the last few weeks exploring what it means to be a neighbor; what it means to choose kindness, and how to communicate neighborliness, peace, acceptance, and justice. If you missed out on any of these excellent articles here are introductions to each along with links to take you to the full postings.
In Defence of Kindness: An Interview With Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow
At an early age, many are taught to “be nice.” Welcome others. Smile. Be polite. Don’t make waves. Avoid conflict… On the surface, these lessons seem to serve us well in forming a well-mannered, forbearing, and peaceful community. Yet, we often sacrifice finding human connection behind a mask of niceness.
Click HERE to read this interview by Beth Harrington Hodge.
A Simple Neighborly Project by Rev. Dr. David Bender
Members of Faith Presbyterian Church of Indian Land, SC, sought to be good global citizens. They looked for ways to be actively involved in addressing the environmental crisis in the world on a scale that allowed them to make a difference. They found a way to put their faith, their energy, and their neighborly connections into a small, tangible project that grew into a broad community service.
An organization called Trex provided a project that their small congregation (150 members) could take on
Click HERE to read Faith Presbyterian Church’s story.
Filling Our Kindness Bucket’s With Children’s Literature by Martha Best DeWit
These past two years have been difficult for many reasons. Our news has been filled with stories of illness, injustice, and rancor. Even though we surely have tried to protect our children from all the bad things happening, we cannot. As people of faith, we know that goodness and love and kindness win in the end. But how can we offer this foundational hope to our children? How do we comfort them when the news is frightening?
Click HERE to be taken to a treasure trove of great children’s literature.
It’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood by Rev. Dr. JP Smit
Mr. Rogers was above all else a good neighbour. Fred Rogers sought to show us how to be the very best kind of neighbour we can be in the communities in which we live, work and worship. By listening, asking questions, and observing, Fred Rogers sought to understand his neighbourhood well so that he might respond to the needs of his community with compassion and justice.
Click HERE to read this article.