Sowing Seeds of Kindness

August 27, 2025

“He who plants kindness gathers love”
St. Basil the great

I witnessed the most moving and unexpected demonstration of kindness recently 

We have a beautiful garden on our West Loop Campus in Chicago.  Located not far from a line of glass and steel skyscrapers to the east, it’s a peaceful and green oasis in the heart of the big city.   

As I was walking over to visit the garden one afternoon, I encountered one of our young people. He was headed toward the street carrying a sandwich. Curious, I asked him where he might be going with it? He said he was bringing it to a homeless woman whom he saw resting on the sidewalk just beyond our property.  

In the Gospels, Jesus tells us that a tree is known by its fruit. At Mercy Home, my coworkers cultivate kindness and compassion in our young people. As professionals whose mission is to encourage healing and growth, they understand the role that gratitude plays in both. And they know that one way to practice gratitude is through service to others.  

So my coworkers provide opportunities for our young people to give back throughout the year. We are so proud of what our young people accomplish on behalf of the community that we memorialize their actions in a “Book of Service” that we present every Christmas to the people of Chicago. 

“As professionals whose mission is to encourage healing and growth, [my coworkers] understand the role that gratitude plays in both.“

Additionally, my coworkers sow the seeds of kindness through their everyday example. They model this virtue in the way they show up and companion with our young people. Through acts large and small they nurture the seeds of kindness, compassion, and generosity within our young people’s hearts.  

So too do our donors whose examples of care and support are not lost on our young people.  

And, importantly, kindness is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It reflects the nature of God. It transforms us when it is shared with us and when we share it with others.  

The Gospels call us to do this and to create the conditions for kindness to bloom and to thrive. When it does, it feeds all of humanity in time.  

So it should really not come as a surprise at all when one of our young people extends kindness in the way that I witnessed outside of the garden. His action was an outgrowth of our donors’ kindness, compassion, and love. And for that I am deeply grateful.