Be Kind. Rewind.

Today is World Kindness Day.  In that spirit, I bring you the Charter for Compassion, and invite you to sign it and make it a part of your life.

A call to bring the world together…

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.
It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.
We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.
We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

Visit charterforcompassion.org

Excuses, Excuses

Yeah, I'll admit it.  This blog has gone kind of neglected for the past couple of weeks.  And while I am sad that I left you without any new content, I think the reason why is a good excuse, and a great opportunity for future fodder.

In the past two weeks, I attended three different conferences all around the country, frequently leaving me without internet access, and thus without my blog.  I spent a day in Cortland, New York at Habitat for Humanity New York State Support Organization's fall conference, and then flew directly to Chicago for the InterFaith Youth Core's Leadership in a Religiously Diverse World conference.  I came home for a few days and then departed for a week in Talladega, Alabama for the National Service Leadership Conference for Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps. 

Now that I'm home and have a had a few days to unwind, I have a lot to share!  Expect many updates on new thoughts, ideas, and opportunities.  I'm very energized about my goals and mission for this year and the future.

I promise that the rest of November will be chock full of Crafting, Food, and Service!