Imagine life in a community defined by compassion. Contemporary
theologian Karen Armstrong says it would look like this.
“A compassionate city is an uncomfortable city. A city is
uncomfortable when anyone is homeless or hungry, uncomfortable if every child
isn’t loved and given rich opportunities to grow and thrive, uncomfortable when
as a community, we don’t treat our neighbors as we would wish to be treated.”
Armstrong is the founder of a global movement with chapters
throughout the United States and the world, that has found its way to Cheyenne.
It is known as “The Charter for Compassion.”
It had its genesis here a couple of summers ago when Rev.
Steve Shive, the head of Wyoming’s Presbyterian churches, convened a meeting of
clergy representing a variety of faith communities. Seated around the table
were Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Catholics, Methodists, Muslims, Jews and
others.
Rev. Shive acknowledged the differences between the faiths
but asked that for the moment we cast them aside and identify what we have in
common. In a nutshell, it came down to what we call “the Golden Rule.”
That led the clergy to Karen Armstrong’s 2008 TED Talk,
which readers can find at by Googling “Armstrong TED Talk.” She called on
people of faith to work for peace by treating others as we would like to be
treated. Urging a revival of the Golden Rule, she suggested the world create
what she called “The Charter for Compassion.”
What followed were months of multi-disciplinary
conversations about the meaning of compassion. In January 2010, the Charter was
launched with 60 members beyond the U.S. to include England, Brazil, Australia,
India, Botswana, and Malaysia. Now, Cheyenne is on the list.
From that 2015 roundtable, interfaith dialogue in Cheyenne
has grown into a small movement. The group adopted the Charter of Compassion,
which states in part, “The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all
religious, ethical, and spiritual traditions. Compassion impels us to work
tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures.” The full text
of the Charter can be read at www.compassionatecheyenne.org.
It calls Compassion an urgent need “in our polarized world.”
Through Compassionate Cheyenne, the Charter has been
endorsed by 122 individuals and 13 organizations in the Capitol City. Among the
organizations are several faith communities as well as the Laramie County
Partnership and COMEA.
The organizers of this movement are clear that they have no
political agenda. They are not asking for money, charging dues, or offering
grants. While people of faith are involved, Compassionate Cheyenne is not a
religious organization, but one that recognizes compassion is not just the work
of a church, synagogue or mosque, but all of us.
The vision and mission is to recognize and highlight the
enormous amount of compassionate work currently being accomplished in our
community and to motivate others to be a part of it.
It exists for one purpose and that is to continually place
the matter of compassion before decision maker. “How does compassion inform
your choices?”
Decisions are made for many reasons. Finances guide some,
politics others. Debates over who to help and whether, questions are asked
about costs, return on investment, worthiness and more. All are important, but Compassionate
Cheyenne asks that compassion be made the priority in every choice.
The dictionary defines the word “compassion” as “having a
sympathetic concern for the suffering of others.” The Charter for Compassion
seeks to move the needle from concern to community-wide action.
The late Henri Nouwen, the priest, professor, philosopher
and writer, taught us that “Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter
into places of pain, to share in brokenness.” Did you hear all those action
verbs? “Go,” “enter,” and “share.”
If you are interested in helping Cheyenne define compassion,
Compassionate Cheyenne invites to attend a public forum on November 2nd
at the Laramie County Library. One session will be held from noon till one with
an evening session at 6:30-7:30.
What does “compassion” ask of the people of Cheyenne?
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