compassion

One of the biggest issues I've been struggling with in my journey recently, is how to respond to tolerance and intolerance.

I'll be honest... I've lived in both circles (with people who believe tolerance waters down truth, and with people who believe intolerance is just arrogant judgementalism rooted in spiritual pride). I can see the validity in both sides, and have struggled to find the place to stand.

But the other day I heard the ideas of Karen Armstrong (an ex-nun who just won the TED prize to build a Charter for Compassion). Something about her words resonated with me. Especially the ideas that:

"... when we have compassion we dethrone ourselves from the center of our world and we put another person there, and once we get rid of ego, then we are ready to see the divine"

so

"..any intrepretation of scripture that leads to hatred or disdain of other people is illegitimate..." and "...we must not leave the scripture until we find the compassionate intrepetation of it"

personally... this felt right... this is the place i choose to stand...

this transcends tolerance...

Plus, the whole idea of dethroning ourselves is something that will radically change all our relationships... especially the challenging ones. I want to see the divine in everyone that I'm around....

Listen to this beautiful scholar and her beautiful idea...