“May you radiate friendliness towards strangers and difficult people too.”
“Go out into the world, not to be perfect, but to practice, to be a practitioner of compassion.”
This month, some of our small groups will be reflecting on the practice of compassion which- according to some confused and powerful people- has apparently gone out of style. I disagree.
What would our lives look like if we prioritized practicing compassion, kindness, friendliness? What if kids’ sports teams were taught to give group hugs to the difficult parents of the opposing team? What if college acceptances were tied to how friendly our youth are towards strangers? What would care of elders and veterans and immigrants look like if our government centered kindness? How many negative inner voices would be silenced if we were taught self-compassion from our earliest years?
Compassion, kindness and friendliness are such simple things that are not taught or prioritized in too many places. Religious communities are one of those places. Don’t we all need practice? Sometimes I radiate friendliness… and sometimes I don’t. I remember one North Parish member who used to tell me that she came to services to file off her horns each week. I get that.
The Rev. Cameron Trimble writes, “We are being conditioned to shut down. The barrage of cruelty, confusion, spectacle, and spin… wears on our capacity to feel… That is the danger of this moment- not just political collapse or climate unraveling or the erosion of public trust- but the numbing of our souls.”
As we enter into the fall season, we’ll be reflecting on our legacies- both personal and communal. May kindness and compassion be part of them!
With love for leaping deer and turning leaves,
Rev. Lee