WHEN I was growing up, every Saturday morning, usually whatever the weather, my mum would take a rubbish bag and pick up the litter in our street. Gross!

I was at a loss to know why she did it.

She clearly didn’t get paid for it and most mornings she was out litter collecting so early that no one knew she did it, so she rarely got thanked for it.

Eventually I asked her why and she just smiled and said: “I always believed that Jesus said we should serve and help each other and that’s why I do it.”

Those words, and moreover what my mum did, have always stayed with me and, hopefully, inspired me. Jesus said that he came to serve and he called people to do likewise.

Imagine what a difference we could make to our community if we were always on the lookout for ways of helping each other, regardless of whether people noticed or whether we were thanked, but just because we wanted to put others first.

Rob Marsh