This is Mental Health Awareness week (declared by the World Health Organisation) and this year they have chosen the theme 'kindness'. They did so long before the lockdown, but they have really hit the nail on the head. Being kind to one another is a fundamental part of our humanity. When asked why they had chosen this theme, Mark Rowland the Chief Executive of the UK's Mental Health Foundation said 'We have chosen kindness because of its singular ability to unlock our shared humanity. Kindness strengthens relationships, develops community and deepens solidarity. It is a cornerstone of our individual and collective mental health. Wisdom from every culture across history recognises that kindness is something that all human beings need to experience and practise to be fully alive'.

Random acts of kindness can transform the drab, humdrum experience of lockdown. Those who are shielding because of some illness, or due to age, are being helped by strangers who have offered themselves by the hundreds of thousands to get involved. Food-banks are operating, often without PPE, in order to make gifts to those who are struggling economically during these tough times. Churches are organising donations of 'goody bags' for NHS staff in hospitals and care home staff.

Kindness is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22, along with virtues like love, joy and peace. So, being kind and mental well-being are closely linked. We need the courage to reach out in kindness towards people we may not even know. We discovered in Zimbabwe that when we could not yet even speak the local language, there is a language of love and kindness that breaks all barriers down.

And we need to be kind to ourselves too. I talk about this in my book Through the Storms; a manual for when life hurts. In the chapter 'How Much am I Worth?' I share how hard we can be on ourselves because we don't feel worthy of the love and service from others, especially in chronic conditions. May we learn that God is kind, and God is love, and that He longs for us to be kind also - and charity begins at home! Go easy on yourself in this lockdown, and receive the grace of God in its fulness.

Can God point to us as examples of His kindness? He should be able to. Ephesians 2:7 (Living Bible) says: 'And now God can always point to us as examples of how very, very rich his kindness is, as shown in all he has done for us through Jesus Christ'. So, in this mental health awareness week, let's choose to be kind to ourselves and to one another as an expression of our humanity, and our faith in Christ.