BY MARK SCHUMANN

In 1900, looking out on an American frontier dotted with settlements at its farthest reaches, historian Frederick Jackson Turner wrote,  “The West is closed.”

As a new century dawned, Turner predicted the challenge for the young nation would be, not the conquest of its outer space, but the cultivation and nurturing of its inner space.  The new challenge for Americans, Turner said, was no longer to conquer a frontier, but to build a life together.

Turner’s observations about the difficulty of creating community are as relevant today as they were some 100 years ago, for we remain challenged to relate to one other with mutual respect and compassion, just as our leaders find it increasingly difficult to work together to further the common good.

Upon taking office in 2011, Louisville, Kentucky Mayor Greg Fischer was keenly aware that deficits are measured in more than dollars.  In his inaugural address, the new mayor established three priorities for his city: health, education and compassion.

Drawing inspiration from the writing of Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk and scholar who lived much of his life at Gethsemane Abbey outside Louisville, Fischer reminded his fellow citizens, “We are already one, but we imagine that we are not.  What we have to recover is our original unity.”

With Fischer’s encouragement, Louisville leaders adopted the international “Charter for Compassion.”

In contrast to Fischer’s call to compassion and unity, Mayor Craig Fletcher and Vice Mayor Tracy Carroll recently spoke harsh words of division that could only serve to set apart people of different faiths.  Fletcher has apologized, but this is hardly the first time he and Carroll have been rude, dismissive and heavy handed in their dealings with the public.

In the wake of the current controversy over the divisive and insensitive public statements by Fletcher and Carroll, perhaps this is both a teachable moment and an opportune time for our political and religious leaders to follow the example of Louisville Mayor Fischer in embracing The Charter for Compassion.

Editor’s Note:  Following is the text of the Charter for Compassion, along with a link to The Charter for Compassion website.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wktlwCPDd94

http://charterforcompassion.org

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 indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.