Youmanity

Youmanity 

Permit me a reminder, friends, and this is not a new

commandment, but simply a repetition of our original

and basic charter: that we love each other.

Love means following His commandments, and His

unifying commandment is that you conduct your lives in love.

This is the first thing you heard, and nothing has changed.

2 John 5-6

Several years ago at a high school in Illinois, students were given Youmanity tokens to give to people to recognize an act of kindness to themselves or others.   Each token had a serial number that could be registered on a website where students could trace a token's path, as each recipient paid it forward with an act of kindness to someone else.  One token traveled through multiple states with over 40 passes.

Putting others first was an important goal of the program.  The kids looked for ways to be kind and helpful to each other at school, to their families at home, and to strangers on the street.  Youmanity tokens were given to firefighters, police officers, teachers, parents, neighbors, community members and each other. 

In John's second letter to the churches, he reminds the congregation of Christ's example of living their lives in love.  Kindness and compassion are born of love and respect for those around us. We may not have a Youmanity token to motivate us, but we have Jesus’ directive to find those who need a touch of God's love today.

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What a wondrous time is spring

When all the trees are budding.

The birds begin to sing,

The flowers start their blooming.

That’s how it is with God’s love

Once you’ve experienced it.

You want to sing, it’s fresh like spring,

You want to pass it on.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 572