A viral video of a church pastor helping a homeless man - only to be surprised by a $5,000 donation from Phil Wickham - has gone viral. Tim Bechervaise says we love watching kindness in action because it’s how we were made to be. Here’s four more social media channels to inspire your generosity
There’s just something about kindness, isn’t there? Even when we’re not the recipient, seeing it warms our hearts and inspires us. It’s compelling and infectious, in a good way.
I’ve never forgotten the time that I witnessed a lovely gesture outside Kings Cross station in London, many years ago. Amid the lunchtime throng, I spotted a lady walking towards the station with a takeaway bag of food. I presumed she was doing the lunch run for colleagues but, instead, she approached a homeless man and gave it to him.
That interaction came to mind this week as I watched the viral video of a pastor being kind to a stranger – only for that stranger to reciprocate the gesture and give him $500, before Phil Wickham then appeared and donated $5,000 to his church - and led worship there.
The ‘stranger’ is Jimmy Darts, a social media influencer whose interactions with unsuspecting people often begin with him requesting their help. It’s an unconventional, perhaps even controversial, approach, but it has quite the impact. Videos are shared with his millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram, typically leading to GoFundMe pages for people to contribute to. And people do contribute – he’s currently the number one fundraiser for others in GoFundMe history. His first book, Undercover Kindness (Convergent), came out last year.
Darts’ inspiration is his Christian faith – and an unusual Christmas present. He grew up in a Christian home, but it was only when he stumbled upon a Billy Graham video on YouTube that he gave his life to Jesus. “He said: ‘Are you going to live for yourself? Or are you going to live to serve other people, live for the kingdom and have eternity with the Lord?’” Darts told CBN.
While that moment provided the faith basis for Darts’ generosity, inspiration for the idea itself goes back to when he was ten years old. That Christmas, his parents said they were giving him a “different kind of gift”. It was $200 – but on the proviso that he gave half away. He gave $100 to a homeless man. “He felt so loved and that exchange has shaped my life so much,” he says.
Inspiring kindness
If you love Darts’ random acts of kindness, they are not the only ones circulating on social media. While algorithms aren’t always to our benefit, one positive is that the more you watch uplifting videos about humanity’s kinder side, the more your feed will show them to you.
Here’s four more to brighten your day…
1. Notes to strangers
Choto writes small handwritten letters, gives them to strangers and films them as they read them. The reactions are often beautiful to watch, although it can feel a bit intrusive. People are clearly touched profoundly (as the video below shows) but, in many ways, that highlights its power. Watching them is a reminder that we never know what the people we brush alongside daily are going through.
2. “I haven’t hugged nobody in a long time”
As a child, Samuel Weidenhofer was diagnosed with a speech impediment. He was mocked by teachers and bullied by classmates, who nicknamed him ’Itssozer’. Now, this is the moniker he goes by as an influencer, reminding him to show the kindness he missed growing up to others. Like Darts, he uses his influence to highlight needs and raise funds for other people, collaborating with celebrities including Hugh Jackman. The interactions are similarly heart-warming, including this one with a cashier facing eviction.
3. Tea and chat on a park bench
“Would you like a cup of tea and a chat?” That’s the question Will Shears, a filmmaker from Brighton, began asking strangers last January. His aim is to help combat loneliness and improve mental health, and his park bench interactions have been viewed millions of times - including this one with a man who played guitar for the Beatles – and was once given a cup of tea by John Lennon. It’s a cracking story – one we can all enjoy because of the kindness of someone who made time to listen.
4. Can I take your photo?
As a street photographer, I’ve occasionally done portraits of strangers, and the interactions are overwhelming impactful (only my introversion stops me from doing more!). We love to be noticed – all the more so when we’re told that we look good! This comes through powerfully in Christopher Ward’s interactions, as he asks people if he can take their photo while striking up beautiful conversations. This one with Sasha, who was having a bad day, has been viewed almost 30 million times. Christopher’s kindness is wrapped up in a winsome, inquisitive approach, and his stunning photography skills really shine. It’s a lovely reminder that kindness can take many forms.
A generous faith
While it is not clear whether any of these people are Christians, there is something very Christ-like in the attitudes they embody: looking out for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4), treating others as we would like to be treated (Luke 6:31), extending generosity (2 Corinthians 9:11-12) and offering a listening ear (James 1:19).
Indeed, there’s a reason why seeing displays of such kindness resonate deeply with us – it’s because, as images bearers of God, we’re made for it (Genesis 1:27). So as we enjoy watching these inspiring gestures, how might God want us to use our time, skills and resources to be kind to others in the coming days?
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