The Hebrew word "hesed" describes the very heart of God; telling us what he is really like. It occurs some 250 times in the Old Testament. Its essence is "loving-kindness" expressed with a warm and friendly smile – in word, deed, empathy, compassion and identification. It is also translated "unfailing love, faithful love, everlasting kindness, covenant-keeping love, favour, approval and grace".

If we are to think and live like Jesus, loving kindness must motivate and promote all we do and say; it must be the basis for every interaction we have with others. Dane Ortlund writes: "The overall testimony of the four Gospels is that when Jesus sees the fallenness of the world all about him, his deepest impulse, his most natural instinct, is to move towards that sin and suffering, not away from it."

Jesus was, and always will be, the friend of sinners. They couldn't stay away from him. They felt at home with him. And he didn't make it a condition of his friendship that they put their lives in order first. He loved them as they were, while seeking to win their hearts. And we are called to be like him.

Charlie Mackesy's enchanting book "The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse" is a brilliantly illustrated story about an 8-year-old boy who found companionship as he ambled through the countryside. Listen carefully to what they talked about and reflect on it. It describes what we are about.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" asked the mole. "Kind" said the boy. "Being kind to yourself is one of the greatest kindnesses" said the mole. "Do you have a favourite saying asked the boy. "Yes" said the mole. "If at first you don't succeed, have some cake." "Does it work?" "Every time." "What do you think success is?" asked the boy. "To love" said the mole. "What is the bravest thing you've ever said?" asked the boy. "Help!" said the horse. "What is your best discovery?" asked the mole. "That I am enough as I am" said the boy. "Everything is cancelled" said the boy. "Love isn't cancelled" said the horse. "Most of the old moles I know wished they had listened less to their fears and more to their dreams." "So, you know all about me?" asked the boy. "Yes" said the horse. "And you still love me?" "We love you all the more."

I attended a funeral a few years back where someone, who had themselves not always been as cooperative as they might have been in church life, expressed their gratitude to God for the deceased. They said that the dear person had always treated them with the upmost kindness and respect. That had helped them and encouraged them so very much. Loving kindness is always remembered. It stays with us. It builds us up. Jesus said to the nit-picking Pharisees, legalistically condemning his disciples for breaking their Sabbath rules, "The Lord wants you to be merciful; he isn't looking for the observance of meaningless man-made rituals."

There have been a number of occasions when I have had to get before God to confess my own sin and bad attitude, fully expecting a good ticking-off, but found simple forgiveness and life-transforming loving kindness.

What is the key to understanding the loving-kindness of God? Seeking him with all our hearts in true humility and transparency. God opposes the proud and only gives transforming grace to the humble. Why? Because God himself is humble to the core and each and every one of us falls short of God's perfect standards.

The enemy of humanity hates God and seeks to shape our thinking about him to get us to reject him and have nothing to do with him. The truth is that God is always good and filled with loving-kindness towards all he has made.

To be kind to all with whom we come into contact in 2022, seems to me to be a pretty good new year's resolution. Will we keep it?