Compassion First???
A requirement and priority for being human
as well as a test of the authenticity of all the religious as well as the nonreligious.
It seems we have forgotten.
We must remember what we’ve always known.
If we are to live together as human beings, then we must learn to put love central to our politics and our religion.
As the Dalai Lama says, “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”
Christianity:
John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Galatians 5: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. ... For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
John 15:12: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."
1 Corinthians 13:13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Matthew 25: See also the parable of the sheep and goats where Jesus says that if we close our hearts to those in need, we are like the goats that are cast out.
“Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’
“Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did not do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Jesus, when asked what is the greatest law, said, Love God and Love your neighbor as yourself. Upon this law hangs all of the (Old Testament) law and the prophets.
Buddhism:
“Radiate boundless love towards the entire world.”
“Give, even if you only have a little.”
“Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.”
Hinduism:
“The essence of Hinduism is the same essence of all true religions: Bhakti or pure love for God and genuine compassion for all beings.”
Check out versions of the Golden Rule globally:
What about the non-religious, atheists, agnostics, etc?
Do they show themselves to be as human as other people by their love and compassion?
The following should give pause to the “righteous” especially in our society politically charged with fear and hate, especially when Christians in America claim that America is a Christian nation.
There seems to be a lot of hypocrisy in our words, in our actions, in our politics, and in our religion. If our beliefs and values do not produce the actions demanded, then we are living a life of incoherence, a dis-integrated life.
My experience has shown me that I’d much rather have conversations with atheists. Maybe this is why.
From the article: Atheists and agnostics are more driven by compassion to help others than are highly religious people, a new study finds.
https://www.livescience.com/20005-atheists-motivated-compassion.html
From the article: “Love thy neighbor” is preached from many a pulpit. But new research co-sponsored by the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center suggests that the highly religious are less motivated by compassion when helping a stranger than are atheists, agnostics, and less religious people.
In a world full of fear, anger, and hate, driven by both politics and religion, to what shall we turn? Especially since politics and religion have become the main corrupting and toxic factors?
Shouldn’t love be the center of our lives? Which necessarily implies love being the center of both our religion and our politics.
I’m quite embarrassed and ashamed of what I see and hear everyday, our lack of humanity, as I constantly wonder who we are and what we have become and why. I fear it may be because of our beliefs that our values and actions do not follow.
Bottom line:
The whole world will know us by our love, our works, our actions, our behavior, and our words.
Observation and Inquiry:
As I was putting this together, reflecting on religious people and nonreligious people that I’ve known quite well, I noticed that most religious love is conditional, either loving others contingent on being a member of a religious group or loving others because God said so, neither are unconditional.
What about loving people because of who they are, human beings that are all worth loving, no matter who they are? This reminds me of a statement by a famous atheist, Sam Harris, saying that for him getting rid of all dogma is the best way of having better and deeper conversations. I take that to mean that often our dogma and doctrine get in the way of loving unconditionally, just because we are human. Because I am human and because you are human, here on the earth as brothers and sisters, trying to survive together.
How can we be so divisive and hateful?
How can any religion be so divisive?
Why is it the nonreligious that seem to more naturally show compassion? Many of my most recent friends are atheists. So I see it all the time.
What’s getting in the way of us being human together?
As usual for me, Rumi sums up many of the deeper and profound questions of life:
- “Whenever we manage to love without expectations, calculations, negotiations, we are indeed in heaven.”
- “A life without love is of no account. Don’t ask yourself what kind of love you should seek, spiritual or material, divine or mundane, Eastern or Western. Divisions only lead to more divisions. Love has no labels, no definitions. It is what it is, pure and simple. Love is the water of life. And a lover is a soul of fire! The universe turns differently when fire loves water.”
- “Love is the house of God and you are living in that house.”
- “This is love: to fly toward a secret, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet.”
- “A lifetime without Love is of no account. Love is the Water of Life Drink it down with heart and soul!”
And I would add, love drives everything I am, everything I desire, everything I do, every encounter I have, every vote I make, every word I write every word I say, every breath I take... and yes my values and beliefs. Without this alignment, I have no integrity and my values and beliefs are meaningless.
May I always stand apart from the fear, anger, and hate that drives most of this so-called Christian America.
Loving people live in a loving world. Hostile people live in a hostile world. Same world! You choose!
“Oh Love that Fires the Sun, Keep me Burning!” (Bruce Cockburn, lyrics)
Why can't we see people that are vastly different and see something beautiful? Because that is real and true.
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