Thought for the month: How we treat one another makes a difference

By Rev. Dr. Joseph Mottram

Does world news make you anxious? Wars, threats, violence against protesters. Just the first couple of weeks of 2026 seem to have continued the unpredictable chaos of 2025.

In times of uncertainty it can be tempting to look for someone to blame and demonise, whether it’s the government, foreigners, those we disagree with. Some politicians and parts of the media jump to this too, drawing on outrage and anger rather than suggesting solutions. It’s all their fault! This is a classic psychological response when under stress – reassuring ourselves by drawing a tighter boundary around ‘us’ at the expense of ‘them’. The problem is that we also feel impotent to make any difference to these global and national issues, and drawing such boundaries further divides what feels like an already overwhelmingly fractured world and society.

So, should we just give up then? Switch off the news and disengage from it all? Not at all.

A cut-throat me-first approach to life may lead to a few coming out on top, but everyone else suffers. When we choose to help others, to show love to others, regardless of how they treat us, we make the gap between ‘us’ and ‘them’ smaller. If we instead work together, we can find solutions which are better for everyone.

One of Jesus’ most challenging and counter-cultural teachings was that we should love everyone – God, our friends, our neighbours, our enemies. In seeking the best rather than the worst for people, trying to understand one another, we break down and heal divisions. Compassion and kindness are not weakness, but rather super-powers which strengthen community, decrease isolation, calm situations, and make things better for everyone involved.

And this is something that is entirely in our control. Rather than letting hate in, let love shine out. You can make someone’s day simply by giving a helping hand, a kind word, a listening ear, or a smile, and you’ll feel better for it too. If we all commit to random little acts of kindness and love, then quickly our part of the world will feel a better place. In time it will reshape the world to be a calmer, kinder, less anxious place too. Go on, give it a try.