Compassion
On November 12th, Karen Armstrong revealed The Charter of Compassion. It is a simple, beautifully crafted document urging us all to simply "always treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves". If you haven't seen her talk at TED from July 2009, take the time and watch.
As an adult I've never been a church goer and it certainly gets more difficult when the church you belong to condemns your "lifestyle". As a kid, I attended church regularly with my Mom and even then, I recognized that there seemed to be a difference between followers and faithful. A difference between those who considered themselves religious and those who acted on their beliefs. In particular, I remember a story that my Mom told me about a group of ladies at the church. These ladies were members of the women's group, they attended church (I think everyday) and on Sundays they sat in their pew, pious and watched everyone. I was always fascinated with anyone who seemed to be such a strict follower. I wondered where did that "belief" come from. What I didn't know was that they preferred to be "right" instead of compassionate. They believed in the "rules", but that those rules didn't apply to them. They followed and embraced all elements of church doctrine, instead of living the simple message of do unto others. This woman, who was a long time member of the church, member of the women's groups and a friend, left her abusive husband. They had been married for many years and finally she got up the courage to leave him. And for this simple act of courage, she was talked about, ostracized and these women made it clear to others in the church and the group, that she simply was not welcome because she broke the rules. As a adult, I have spent a lot of time learning about other faiths, trying to understand those who do not believe and struggled to find my place within my church. I have tried to find something I can fully believe in. With The Charter of Compassion I believe that I have found it. It will not be easy to follow the golden rule, so much of the world around us urges us to focus first on ourselves, but I believe that in it's simplicity I can try and in trying find something to believe in.