Spirit Alive is a weekly blog that looks at different aspects of mission and ministry throughout the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference and beyond.

December 15, 2015

Food for the Soul:

Living a Life of Compassion

In 2008, the highly respected scholar, Karen Armstrong, won the TED Prize, along with $100,000. With it she asked TED to help her create, launch and propagate a "Charter for Compassion, crafted by a group of leading inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and based on the fundamental principles of universal justice and respect."

In November 2009, the Charter for Compassion was born, with more than 150,000 people from 180 countries helping to craft a 312-word statement. Since then, over 100,000 people have pledged to uphold it. This is no small commitment in our troubled, turbulent times. As Armstrong says:

"Compassion is no longer an option--it is the key to our survival. If our religious and ethical traditions fail to address these challenges, they will fail the test of our time."

Another wonderful resource to help develop one's sense of compassion is the book Practicing Compassion, by Frank Rogers, Jr. In it Rogers says: "Compassion is the heartbeat of humanity." In the book, he helps the reader learn more about how to practice one's sense of compassion in life from paying attention to understanding empathically, from developing loving connection and sensing the sacred...to embodying new life.Rogers believes "compassion is contagious. Seeing a person care for another can inspire care within us as well." During this Advent Season, may compassion abound in our world!

Blessings on your journey,

Lowell

Spirit Alive is a weekly blog and email by Rev. Lowell Greathouse, Mission and Ministry Coordinator for the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference. It seeks out where the spirit is alive in our congregations and communities.