Last evening I attended a Town Hall Meeting at the
First Baptist Church in Bronxville. It was an interesting experience as I went
not knowing what to expect. There were many elected officials and participants
from all age groups. As the meeting began the moderator mentioned the guidelines
for the time. He stated that the premise of the meeting would be “kindness.” I immediately
thought what a wonderful way to begin. How important at this time in our
country’s history that we practice kindness. We all need to practice this. The Town
Hall Meeting was most informative, and I am grateful to those elected officials
who are working so hard for the interest of their constituents. May we all
participate and respond with kindness.
A friend shared the quote below from Thich Nhat Hanh
with me and as I read it the words echoed for me the meaning of today’s Gospel.
Jesus spoke to Peter with compassion. The disciples were called to follow Jesus
and be leaders, we are called to do the same. We are called to be disciples of
Jesus and whatever we do in life we never stop being a disciple. Being a
disciple is a lifelong commitment. We are continuously transformed into the
image of Jesus. The call to compassion is one that mirrors how Jesus treated
people. May we always live with compassion and kindness.