Even Saturdays give a chance to spread love

IF you’re anything like me, weekends usually revolve around delicious brunch plans or long overdue coffee catch-ups with friends. So, faith on a Saturday often looks like ministering grace and kindness to the friendlyyet-frazzled staff of [insert any overpacked-but-delightful independent café in Nottingham of your choice].

But on one particularly rainy Saturday, the tables turned: I was the one instead who received an unexpected yet delightful display of grace. I came into the cafe and was ready to bemoan the rain – cue classic conversational back and forth about the weather – when the waiter abruptly took us off script and said: ‘I quite like the rain. Without water, there is no life: God is in the rain.’

It’s completely changed how I view cold, rainy days.

It makes me smile when I remember how Jesus’ first miracle was to turn water into wine. Taking something ordinary

– dull, even – and turning it into something extraordinary. It’s another flipping of the script, that makes me think of this quote by Strahan Coleman: “Spiritual power at its greatest height is scandalous kindness. May [we] call upon God’s full and available power, not only for healing miracles or answered prayers, but for the millions of little ordinary appointments each day affords [us] to reveal His loving kindness to one another.”

In the lead up to Valentine’s Day, what would it look like, to reveal this, scandalous kindness to one another?

Maya Angelou said: “People will forget your name, they might even forget what you look like, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” However, Jesus said it best: “They will know you are my disciples by how well you love one another.” (John 13:35)

There’s something truly captivating about Jesus’ ministry: the eclectic mix of people he gathered around himself and the diverse social circles he weaved in and out of. Jesus was magnetic because He was God, and yet, I also think the secret to His charisma was in how he made people feel when he was with them. And, if you’re a follower of Jesus, through the great mystery of faith, you carry Christ in you (Colossians 1:27). And we can bring His warmth and loving kindness wherever we are. People will know that we are Christ followers by how well we love. It could look as simple as stopping to ask “how are you?” to the cashier as you go about your Saturday afternoon errands or showing kind patience when there’s a delay for the food (and you’re getting hangry).

Monday to Friday work offers overt opportunities to display Christlikeness or even talk to our colleagues about faith. Which is wonderful, but I also love the covert, ordinary-extraordinary acts of faith that a Saturday can contain. ■■Ennette Lainchbury is Emerging Generations Champion at The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity. She also runs a Christian yoga business in Beeston.

We can bring His warmth and loving kindness wherever we are. People will know that we are Christ followers by how well we love