Common Kindness

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ … so I will hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. Philippians 1:27

At some point over the years, these coffee cups appearing in shows and movies set in NYC came to my attention. When my children took a NY trip this spring, they went with my request to be on the lookout for these iconic blue coffee cups. It was a delight to receive this picture of the blue coffee cup sighting on the back of a bicycle in Manhattan! It was a nice surprise to see the nice message on the cup, “To serve you is our pleasure!”

A little research in an article by Stephanie Geier on “Untapped New York” revealed that this familiar Greek coffee cup, “The cup that says New York,” is called “Anthora” which comes from the Greco-Roman amphora, an ancient container. The blue Anthora created by Greek immigrants became an iconic symbol of New York City. It was once the standard coffee cup but has become “an endangered artifact” that represents the city and its identity as a welcoming place for all.

The message, “To serve you is our pleasure!” fits as a Christian slogan reminding us of our call to serve with love in our hearts. How we live out our faith in this world is becoming itself endangered in a climate of division and hate. Paul’s reminder written from prison to the Philippian community is a timely message. Let’s make our message and actions of peace, love, and unity into a common and recognizable symbol of disciples who follow Jesus not a rare commodity. We can take Paul’s reminder to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel to heart just as the Philippians did in challenging times. We can strive together to show the world and our neighbors that we take pleasure in serving and that we want nothing more than common kindness and peace in all of our communities. As the coffee cup Anthora is named after an ancient container, we can be containers of God’s love poured out for all just as Jesus’ love was poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, (Philippians 4:13),

Pastor Andrea