How old do you have to be to start being kind? Or should that be, how young?

How does 11 years of age sound? Too young? Well, not according to Orion Jean of Texas, who was voted Time magazine’s 2021 “Kid of the Year.”

Orion’s motto is, “If you see a problem, fix it.” And he sees himself as an ambassador for kindness. For Thanksgiving 2020, he organized the donation and delivery of 100,000 meals for families across the United States, and in 2021, it was the distribution of 500,000 books to children.

Watching the news during the pandemic, Orion wanted to do something, and the prize money he won in a speech contest was the catalyst that set him on his way. 

He had help from people who supported his work, but it was his vision that started it all, and his view that kindness is a choice. His advice is to find something that breaks your heart. Then, instead of wringing your hands, do something to make the difference. It needn’t be a large project; even small acts of kindness can make a huge improvement in someone’s life.

“If you see a problem, fix it.” ORION JEAN

Jesus said, “Do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). This is called the Golden Rule and is even now a universal standard of how to treat others.

But Jesus also told a story about people who fed Him when He was hungry, clothed Him when He was naked and visited Him when He was in jail. This story ended with the statement, “I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was Me—you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40 The Message).

Can you commit to an act of kindness a day, knowing that you are pleasing God? 

Reprinted from Salvos Magazine (Australia), May 7, 2022

Illustration: iushakovsky/stock.Adobe.com