2017-03-27

As the holiday season continues, families are consumed with shopping, dinners and social gatherings, and plans for the New Year. But how about the kindness and compassion we share that can impact another life?

Two spiritual leaders, Rabbi Daniel Cohen of Stamford, CT and Pastor Greg Doll of Darien, CT wanted to find a way to motivate people to make someone else’s day a little brighter with the Elijah Moment Campaign.

Launched just a few days before Thanksgiving, the 40-day campaign plans to get as many people involved, from city-to-city, across state lines, and expand across the world.

Inspired by the prophet Elijah, who is Biblically known for his bold faith and courageous service to God, The Elijah Moment is creating a domino effect of goodwill.

It started at a Starbucks and a bakery in Stamford, CT, as Rabbi Cohen and Pastor Doll offered to pay for drinks and food items, only asking the receivers to pay it forward. Others have taken that message to heart, performing other acts of kindness and sharing it on social media.

Rabbi Cohen and Pastor Doll recently spoke in a phone interview about the movement.

“It’s amazing the goodwill that’s created and the things people have done as a result of that,” said Rabbi Cohen. “It’s very heartwarming and kind of restores your faith.”

“It speaks to me about what’s possible in our culture,” said Pastor Doll. “You see people react and you see what’s possible with humanity when we do these acts of kindness. And they can be small gestures of kindness; it can be holding a door and paying it forward.”

Pastor Doll went on to say that we can use the Elijah Moment to be thoughtful and more conscious of the people in our own lives and our communities.

“It’s creating a culture where people take the time to think about not just doing random acts of kindness, but very deliberate acts of kindness…it’s strategic.”

As the campaign ends at the top of the New Year, January 1, their Facebook page has been lighting up with stories of kindness and giving back.

“In a world of increasing violence, flood the world with acts of kindness” reads the slogan of the Elijah Moment.

It’s a simple, yet altruistic way to change our outlook this holiday season.

Check out the Facebook page of the Elijah Moment here or use #elijahmoment on other forms of social media.

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