Moving
Toward Compassion
“Let's
use our stories to encourage listening to one another and to hear not
just the good news, but also the pain that lies at the back of a lot
of people's stories and histories.”
Karen
Armstrong
Karen
Armstrong is a British scholar of comparative religion, who has
written more than 20 books about her subject. In this quote, she
refers to the perceived differences among the major religions, when
at the core, they are quite similar. The centerpiece of each is
compassion. She implores people to pursue, not a rigid set of beliefs
and doctrines, but a compassionate life, for it is in compassion that
religion truly comes alive.
I
want to carry this into the arena of the personal, and suggest that
listening to one another deeply and attentively, would help us
individually to grow more compassionate. Understanding someone's
back-story is critical to comprehending why they behave the way they
do, why they say the things they say, why they deploy the filters,
disguises and defenses they use to deflect, distract and
compartmentalize. Human beings are endlessly fascinating and creative
in these areas; the only animals who can say one thing, mean another
and behave convincingly. We might begin with ourselves—really
listen to what we say, how we feel when we're saying it, and whether
our thoughts and our words are in harmony.
We're
heading into the holidays when lots of families will gather and
commingle. It's an opportunity to practice listening with interest
and to ask questions that get at the back story. If we can set aside
our perceptions and expectations, and simply ask and listen we may
uncover a treasure trove of understanding. And, it is understanding
that leads to compassion.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
No comments:
Post a Comment