Love has no boundaries

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible (Dalai Lama) Acts of kindness are always appreciated. If we see a blind man trying to cross a busy road it is an act of kindness to lend a helping hand.

Many small gestures of kindness are possible in the home. If we see a mother struggling to cook and take care of small children it is an act of kindness to offer help. Sometimes the husband will help his wife with the chores or might take the children out of her way to let her get on with the cooking.

At work we may see colleagues who are not as proficient at the job as ourselves. It is kind to offer a helping hand - perhaps by patiently explaining a better way of doing the job.

 It is kind to visit the sick in hospital. Maybe the patient may not be aware of our presence, but we can leave short notes or small gifts to let them know we have come and that we do care for them. When the patient feels better he will appreciate the act of kindness.

Love, like war, has no boundaries. If we look at the love between a mother and her baby we can see that nothing is too much effort for the mother.

Christ has told us - “Love your enemies.” It is so easy to love those who love us but the real test of love is in loving those whom we regard as enemies. Love is never selfish nor restricted by boundaries. Love can be extended to strangers we meet - the poor and the marginalised, drug addicts and prisoners. To visit a prison and show love for the cast-offs of society is a magnanimous deed. The drug addict or prisoner probably hates himself but when love is shown to him he can begin to believe in himself again and regain hope - “Hope springs eternal in the human heart.”

Love can be shown to the unemployed. They get into evil habits because they have low self-esteem. By showing love for them we can enhance their self-image. Love and kindness can make losers into winners - “Winners are losers who got up and gave it one more try” (Dennis De Young).