Jim Dougans gave me an article recently entitled “Outflow”.  It asked the question, “What if your church really embraced the idea of letting God’s love flow into your community?”  The authors tell the story of congregations that decided they could change their communities by what they did in them.  One night a woman and her son were going through the drive-in window at Taco Bell.  When they got to the window where they were to pay the server smiled and said, “This is your lucky day.  The people ahead of you paid for your order and left you this card.”  The card read, “We hope this small act of service shows you God’s love in a practical way.”  The recipients of this felt for the first time that maybe God really did care about them.

What can you do to show God’s love?  On some snowy, messy day, wash some car windshields at the grocery store.  Leave a note that says it is a sign of God’s love and a gift from Northminster Presbyterian Church.  Pay a toll for the car behind you.  Order the kids meal and give the toy to a child at another table.  Pass out water on the Monon.  Order a cone of pomme frittes for another table at Brugge’s.  Pick up a burger and fries for a homeless person.

In order for our faith to grow we must exercise it.  Do something kind and unexpected.  Bring love and hope and kindness back into the world.  Smile and watch others join you.