Manifesto - One Kindness

Manifesto

I was doing a kind act for my neighbors one day. Something that would probably go unnoticed by most of them, but one neighbor caught me, and gave me a bag of oranges. I told her I wasn’t doing it to get anything from her. She said that she was only giving me oranges because she had more than she needed, and she thought it would be kind to give them to me.

Meanwhile, in the back of my head, I was singing the words to “One” by U2.

Did I ask too much
More than a lot
You gave me nothing
Now it's all I got
We're one
But we're not the same
Well we
Hurt each other
Then we do it again
You say
Love is a temple
Love a higher law
Love is a temple
Love the higher law
You ask me to enter
But then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt
One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should
One life
With each other
Sisters
Brothers
One life
But we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other

One...life

One

It hit me that most of us go around taking care of what we need, and not thinking about the needs of those around us. Bono gets it, which is why he started his “One” campaign to end global poverty. It hit me hard when I realized that the people around me are all in need of something.

We all need a friend, or a meal, or a couple dollars, or help with a flat tire, or someone to talk to.

We are all in need of community.

Community is a group of people held together by common bonds.

We live in a world where the average American doesn’t even know his neighbor’s name.

To be honest, of the handful of people on my street, I only know a few of their names. I don’t think that’s good. I don’t think that we should go through life without taking the time to know each other, to help each other, and to experience community together.

Life is hard enough. Why should we have to go it alone?

But that means that in order to get community, we have to give something. We have to give kindness.

Radical and Simple Acts of Kindness transform communities, by building unity, creating trust, restoring relationships, meeting needs, melting prejudices, and creating equality.

I am a Christian. Part of that declaration means that I try to live by the teachings of Jesus, who said that (if you don’t mind my paraphrasing) real love is sacrificial. And it is given without strings.

You don’t have to be a Christian to join One Bradford. In fact, almost anyone of any religious, ethnic, or any other categorical background would agree that the world would be a better place if we all committed to do acts of kindness.

A lot of people are working hard at implementing visions for Bradford. Most of those are “Top Down” ideas… They make plans to affect public policy, industry, housing, aesthetics, business, crime, substance abuse, and environmental issues.

I commend their work, and I certainly don’t speak against it. But I do think that if we want to see real change in Bradford, we need to start at ground level. We need to make changes in our own hearts, minds, and attitudes.

Not much can transform those things like acts of kindness and service.

Do I sound like a hippie? Or a dreamer? Or an idealist? Sure I do.

“You want to change Bradford by sweeping sidewalks and carrying in groceries for old people?”

No. I want to see what happens if we commit to live in community- to live with an emphasis on shaping those “common bonds.”

I really think that we will see Bradford become a place of unity, peace, and joy. People will want to live here. They will want to shop here. They will want to be a part of Bradford.

And, I believe the fire will spread… today Bradford, tomorrow, the world!