A new group has formed with the goal of driving the Capital City's decisions through the lens of caring for other people. That might make us uncomfortable, but it is the right thing to do.
By Rodger McDaniel
Imagine being 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 the 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. 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 Capital City.
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 are 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 makers: “How does compassion inform your choices?”
Decisions are made for many reasons. Finances guide some, politics others; debates occur over who to help and whether, costs, return on investment, worthiness and more. All are important, but Compassionate Cheyenne asks that compassion is 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.”
What does “compassion” ask of the people of Cheyenne?
Rodger McDaniel is the pastor at Highlands Presbyterian Church in Cheyenne. He resides in Laramie.
“A compassionate city is an uncomfortable city. A city is uncomfortable
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 the 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. 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 Capital City.
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 are 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 makers: “How does compassion inform your choices?”
Decisions are made for many reasons. Finances guide some, politics others; debates occur over who to help and whether, costs, return on investment, worthiness and more. All are important, but Compassionate Cheyenne asks that compassion is 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.”
What does “compassion” ask of the people of Cheyenne?
Rodger McDaniel is the pastor at Highlands Presbyterian Church in Cheyenne. He resides in Laramie.
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