📘 Definition of openhanded

giving freely; generous.

synonyms: charitable, big-hearted

Right now, the world around us is in deep turmoil . Turn on the TV, scroll through your newsfeed, glance over the front page of any newspaper – it’s choc-a-bloc with exhausting news. Political tensions, civil strife, corruption, terror, issues of human rights, gender, sexuality, fair pay – the list feels endless. Fear mongering click-bait headlines seem to be detailing humanity’s worst side . . and that’s before the comments section!

But now is not a time for despair

It may be hard to believe, but there are tons of kind-hearted wonderful human beings out there. People that work hard to make the world a better place, who show kindness without reason and are passionate about seeing real change. Those that put selflessness above selfishness. Compassion over indifference. Togetherness over division. Jesus showed us in no uncertain terms what this kind of lifestyle really looked like. ‘Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’. (Mark 10:45)

There is a bigger picture at play. And we’re all invited to be a part of it. We matter. When we give our day-to-day, waking, eating, sleeping life and strive to make it count with small actions, we find things aren’t as overwhelming. Because small actions taken regularly, particularly when we do it together – have a big impact on own lives and the wider community.

Opening our hands 👐

It’s hard not to throw our hands in the air and admit defeat. It’s much easier to hope somebody rises to the challenge of taking on the system. We talk about hope, hope for a better world, a better way of doing life. But hope is not just a feeling. It is made real in action. Hope is a voice raised for injustice, unkind words met with grace and forgiveness. Hope is serving others, caring for the brokenhearted. Hope is how the good news of Jesus is made known.

Over the next 8 weeks check in as we take a look at what the Bible has to say about living with open hands. We’ll be exploring a huge selection of verses – from Old Testament to New – that show us how important justice, generosity and our caring for each other is to God. As well as trying our hands at some IRL actions and challenging ourselves in the way we live out our day to day.

In our ever-more connected world, Jesus’ call to love our neighbour is profound and vital. So let’s live with open hands. Let’s live this truth out loud. Let’s find the little bit of good we can bring to the table, and work to see that good take hold of the world around us.

“Love cures people – both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.”

Karl A. Menninger