The world is a divisive place these days. Just the other morning, someone said to me, “The people are rejecting God!” and someone else said, “The church is rejecting the people!” It’s a game of judgement and finger pointing. So I have decided that whatever I am about in the world as a pastor, parent, colleague, sister, child, wife – it has to start with kindness, joy, and love, and maybe some ice cream. Isn’t that what we all need a little more of these days?

Bethlehem Lutheran Church – Twin Cities, where I serve as Family Pastor, has a Friday Night program for middle schoolers. Lead by volunteer, Miss Jayn, she has taken to heart to spread kindness, joy, and love into the world with 6th-8th graders on Friday nights. That’s when she had a brilliant idea! She decided with her students to fill a cooler with ice cream novelties like drum sticks, ice cream sandwiches, and sorbet push ups, and walk the Minneapolis neighborhood. On a typical Friday night, they give out around 25 pre-packaged ice cream treats to kids, adults, and neighbors. Some students ring doorbells to ask if the neighbors would like ice cream, and other students approach people who were out working in their yards. The cool part is each student has their own way to share a little ice cream joy with people.

One neighbor remarked, “Students came by singing carols at Christmas, and now they are serving ice cream during the summer! How nice!” Ice cream, kids, and summer are the right recipe to share kindness, joy, and love. Their goal in walking the neighborhood and passing out ice cream was just that! Miss Jayn and the students didn’t have any other agenda.

Next week is VBS when our students will serve in a different way. To me, the curriculum of Operation Restoration says it best on how we should be in this world as God’s people: “Menders, menders, 1, 2, 3, Menders, Menders, God and Me! We are called to be menders in God’s world!” Mending the division starts by letting God mend our hearts. God can remove the judgement and finger pointing and replace it with kindness, joy, and love. Ice cream just helps to process go more smoothly and makes life a little sweeter.

Thanks Miss Jayn and students for your witness of kindness, joy, and love in this broken world!