Celebrate Lent by Thinking of Others

Random Acts of Kindness

So, what sort of compassionate act can you perform? A while back, 11 cadets from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point performed a chesed shel emet, which in Jewish tradition is an act of loving kindness which cannot be repaid by the recipient of the act. In this case, they cleaned up Silver Lake Cemetery on Staten Island, a 125-year-old graveyard for the indigent, isolated and forgotten run by the Hebrew Free Burial Association since 1888. The cadets were looking for a meaningful community service project, and HFBA was needing help. Look around your community; it’s highly likely that there is a small, neglected cemetery nearby that could also use your attention. Odds are nobody will thank you. You’ll be doing it just for one reason. Because it’s the right thing to do.

Random Acts of Kindness

Buy lunch for a total stranger. A few months ago, in the midst of a political debate, a fast-food chain was being threatened with boycotts because the owners had stood up for their convictions. When word spread of the boycott, a backlash stunned America. People who supported the chain’s position stood in lines that stretched around the block – just to show where they, too, stood. And amid the phenomenon were people calling in, giving credit-card numbers and asking if they could pay for lunch for the next person in line, whoever it was. But your act of compassion doesn’t have to be political. Just buy a stranger lunch. Loiter a few minutes at a fast-food counter. When a stressed-out mom walks in with her four rambunctious kids all wanting this or that, flag down the manager and quietly pay for their meal.