The Importance of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness Day 17th February 2025

by Brian Radcliffe

Suitable for Whole School (Sec)

Aims

To encourage students to consider how small acts can make a huge difference.

Preparation and materials

• The relevant verses from the teaching of Saint Paul are found in 1 Corinthians 13:4, Galatians 6 :10, Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 3:12

Assembly

1. Kindness is not an exciting word. It seems to imply small acts, not especially significant, possibly even unnoticed. It’s unlikely that anyone would win a gold medal or be awarded a royal honour for kindness. Kindness doesn’t often make the news headlines or rouse a cheer from the crowds. Yet to Saint Paul kindness is one of the key expressions of community solidarity. It’s the way to do good to everyone. Kindness is about being tender-hearted, patient and forgiving. Kindness is a way of acting that can be adopted right now, just like putting on a new item of clothing.
2. Monday February 17th, is Random Acts of Kindness Day. This is a day about spontaneity, about halting people in their tracks, making them take notice of things that are unexpected. It also implies kindness not only towards those we know but also to people we don’t know well. Looking at it another way, when we receive a random act of kindness it is usually a positive experience. It will probably lift our mood, make us feel that someone cares about us and that someone values us. Some of us might have felt like this a few days ago when we received an unexpected Valentine’s card or gift.
3. So, let’s consider what a random act of kindness might look like.
   Firstly, they are intended to bring pleasure. So some random acts of kindness might involve treats. Nothing large, possibly spontaneously passing round a packet of some popular sweets or chocolates. An easy way to start.
   Secondly, they are to make life easier for someone, so it might involve simple actions like offering to help with a task, accompanying someone who is uncertain where they’re going, paying attention to the needs of those younger or older than yourselves. Kindness is about awareness of others, putting them before yourselves in the queue. Kindness can come in words too. It doesn’t take much to give someone a compliment for what they do, or to say that you’re proud of them.

Time for reflection

It’s possible that some of us might be thinking, ‘What’s the payback for acts of kindness?’
Whilst it would be nice to do something worthy and not to expect any reward, some of us are more likely to get involved if it appears to be a two-way process.
Possibly the first and most significant payback is that it makes us feel good and proud of ourselves, when we’ve carried out an act of kindness. We feel better because someone else feels better.
Secondly, it feels even better still when that person ‘pays it forward’. In other words, we see them do some kind act for another person because they appreciated what we did for them.
Finally, let’s imagine a community where acts of kindness are paid forward randomly, every day. Wouldn’t that be good for us ourselves when we find we’re in need of help?

Kindness is a way of acting that can be adopted right now, just like putting on a new item of clothing. It’s about making a choice to behave in a kind way. That choice is followed by actively looking for opportunities.
So how about it?
Starting right now, intentionally choosing to create random acts of kindness around school. Let’s all be watching for them.

Music

‘Proud’ by Heather Small. This can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OygsHbM1UCw