In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy . . .

It’s not hard to see that we are in the times described above. The evidence is hard to miss, it’s all around us. But is that all we see?

Have we noticed people doing little acts of kindness around us? The young clerk at the pharmacy who patiently explains things to an old man, then explains it again, because he didn’t understand it the first time, then does it again because he still didn’t get it. And she does it kindly, with no sign of irritation. I hope she’s still there when I get to the stage of life of that old man. The little boys on their way home from school who stop to help a blind lady cross the street, then run back and continue on their way.

Things like this happen around us every day, do we notice them? If our eyes are trained to see the bad in everything, we find it difficult to see the good.

A few years ago, the idea of doing random acts of kindness caught on for a while. Then there were the times when we would hear of someone who pulled up to a Tim Hortons drive-through window, paid for his order, then left a $20 bill to pay for the order of those in the car behind him.

Then COVID happened and we were all confined to our own little bubble and became self-centred. That was the great evil done by COVID, far worse than the health consequences. Isn’t it time to break free of our bubble?

Let’s start looking for the good around us, and be quick to express our appreciation. Let’s be thankful, let’s be kind, and let’s start doing little things to brighten someone else’s day.

Lighting a candle is the only way to fight back against the darkness.