At church last night we watched a video of a woman named Karen Armstrong discussing the need for using the Golden Rule as a guide for the worlds' religions--something Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all agree upon as a primary foundation for compassion. See here:
Ms. Armstrong's work has contributed to the Charter for Compassion, which we read last evening as a group. We discussed-What is compassion? How is it manifested? Some answers included:
--Compassion is reaching outside yourself and doing things you might feel uncomfortable to be kind to others unlike yourself.
--It is important to teach our children to be compassionate from the very beginning, because it is easier to learn compassion at an early age.
--Compassion and justice go hand in hand. In a just world, there would be enough compassion that people would not be hungry or homeless. There would be healthcare for all.
--Compassion comes more easily to some than others, but there isn't a one of us who is not able to be compassionate.
How about you? Do you have thoughts on compassion? Are you in the need for compassion? This is an open thread. Come on in and tell us about the day. We have champagne at my house, as my husband is celebrating his fantasy baseball win! Sometimes, a listening ear is all the compassion that is needed.