FRIENDS,
AS WE END ONE STRETCH OF TIME
AND START A NEW ONE
WE DO WELL TO MEASURE
OUR TIME/LIFE MARCH.
THIS POSTING IS LONG AND HARD.
IT IS ABOUT THE
MEASURE OF OUR TIME/LIFE MARCH.
IT IS ABOUT
PERIL AND PROMISE.
.
PLEASE CONSIDER IT.
THANKS.
JOHN FRANK
*****
Hi There!
“Ya wanna start somethin?”
That’s a common
playground/bar challenge to fight.
Let’s flip it real and right.
“Ya wanna start somethin”
that will save people and place,
probably the only thing
that will save us as a people and
this our place in the universe?
That’s not a vague rhetorical question.
It’s a question of continence,
to say nothing of prospering.
The current degradation of
society and planet
rushes both to peril.
No, my name is not Orson Wells
and no this is not
“The War of the Worlds.”
It is, though, about a war on the world
and those who people it.
And I do mean to name it.
It is a world catastrophe
in the making.
More accurately,
it is a catastrophe
unmaking us as a people and
this our planet place.
Now, you really don’t want to read this.
Quite frankly,
I don’t really want to write this.
I don’t really want to write this.
We both better.
Dodging what’s going on
between us people and
between us people and
all around us only hastens disaster.
We need to know and name the problem.
We need to know and name the hope.
First the hope.
And hope there is.
All the perennial spiritual traditions
are one in naming that hope,
in naming what it takes
to save,heal and flourish as
people and planet.
The one world word that speaks
The one world word that speaks
our singular hope is
COMPASSION
Compassion means to be so one that we are one.
Compassion means to love to union.
Compassion means full bore care/share.
Compassion means to fully feel/experience together.
OK, what’s that look like
out on the sweaty street of everyday life?
What is its weave and texture in the fabric
of our everyday spiritual lives,
of our everyday spiritual lives,
be they spun extraordinary to quite plain?
Well, let’s take a look at
Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz,a warm,
friendly family practice physician in Pittsburgh.
He spent all kinds of time with his patients,
reduced payments for the poor,
even made house calls.
Back in the 80’s he cared for an HIV patient,
actually touched his body (and soul)
when other doctors wouldn’t even see,
much touch and treat, an HIV patient.
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Dr. Rabinowitz was downstairs
in the synagogue when he heard
shots up in the sanctuary.
Dr. Rabinowitz was downstairs
in the synagogue when he heard
shots up in the sanctuary.
He ran to help those shot
and was himself shot to death.
A compassionate Jew just like
and was himself shot to death.
A compassionate Jew just like
the compassionate Jew, Jesus.
Life for life.
Life for life.
Compassion woven extraordinary.
OK, something a little closer to home, you say?
A compassion textured to everyday life?
My mother cared for, coped with,
helped, danced around,
a good man, but also
a particularly difficult man,
a good man, but also
a particularly difficult man,
a disturbed and disturbing man:
her husband, my father.
She saved a man and a family.
She saved a man and a family.
A life-long, right at home compassion.
OK, too tough?
Want something less intense?
Checkout Ann.
She’s a nurse, a single woman,
and she volunteers
to work every holiday
to work every holiday
so other nurses can be home
with their children.
with their children.
Compassion woven into
the work-a-day world.
the work-a-day world.
Then there’s Bob.
He lives in a pleasant suburb.
Bob spends a lot more time
than his neighbors caring for
his lawn,shrubs and garden.
than his neighbors caring for
his lawn,shrubs and garden.
That’s because he refuses
to use any kind of a supposed
"miracle grow" substance
to use any kind of a supposed
"miracle grow" substance
that is toxic to people and place.
His "round up" of weeds
is environmentally safe,
is environmentally safe,
most often done by hand.
Ecological compassion.
Consider Martha,
a home bound elderly woman.
a home bound elderly woman.
She keeps up with the day’s news,
and responds to it with prayer.
While the caravan from Honduras
was on its way
to the U.S./Mexico border
to the U.S./Mexico border
she learned of Javier
while watching the news
while watching the news
and she spiritually adopted him.
He is sixteen and
on his own in that caravan.
on his own in that caravan.
Martha took him to her heart.
She holds Javier
in loving prayer and concern every day.
in loving prayer and concern every day.
Caring, prayerful compassion.
For what it’s worth, there’s me.
In no way do I here tout politics
right or left, red or blue.
That said, I say I am appalled,more,
frightened by much of what
increasing numbers of public leaders
and their followers say and do –
the crudity, dishonesty, injustice, violence,
of so sadly much of it.
Rather than rant and rage about it,
I again and again
– a lot of “again and again” –
prayerfully hold them in God’s love,
join in God’s love for them.
I also vote and purchase as close to
The Common Good as I know how to get.
I contact public officials
urging justice to people and place.
I speak out, not for partisan positions,
but for basic humanitarian and just policies.
I financially support social justice
and environmental groups.
It costs comfort and sometimes acceptance.
That’s a bit of this old man’s compassion.
“Ya wanna start somethin,”
in fact the only thing that
will save us as a people and
this our place in the universe?
Hopefully we all are committed
and busy at that right now.
In addition, let’s do so together
right here at “frankly speaking.”
Those of us sharing here weekly
come from 62 nations worldwide.
If we continue to commit to a
brotherhood/sisterhood,
a
“humanhood,”
of
compassion
we will be changed
and we will change –
and we will change –
in both cases for the better.
This really is
a matter of life or death,
a matter of life or death,
of a dedication to life and being
in all their forms,
or settling for their demise.
So here’s what I ask and urge.
Attached at the end of this posting
are generous sharings
of wisdom from our common
perennial spiritual traditions.
of wisdom from our common
perennial spiritual traditions.
The say compassion
in all sorts of wondrous ways.
Let’s not commit
their wisdom to The Cloud.
their wisdom to The Cloud.
Rather, let us commit ourselves
to daily prayer and meditation
over their compassion wisdom
- lots and long –
a commitment that leads
to working for justice,
to working for justice,
justice for all
people and all places!!
people and all places!!
Let’s find ways to translate
their wisdom words into
their wisdom words into
our attitude and practice.
Let’s see what’s threatening
people and planet.
people and planet.
Then in our spheres
and ways let’s see how
and ways let’s see how
we can bring real,
practical compassion
practical compassion
to our people and place.
Also, every day
let’s consciously hold
let’s consciously hold
each other in prayer,
in compassionate prayer,
in supportive prayer.
By our living,
and a bit by our words,
let’s invite others
to a life of compassion,
a compassion that
“loves to union”
people and place,
society and planet.
The alternative is
a shredding of society and
the demise of planet earth.
Let’s refuse to be
intimidated or daunted
by the problem, the peril.
Yes, there’s pollution,
demagogues, dictators,
democracies collapsing,
climate change,
aggressive nationalism,
white and otherwise.
demagogues, dictators,
democracies collapsing,
climate change,
aggressive nationalism,
white and otherwise.
There’s the astrophysicist
Stephen Hawkins telling us
Stephen Hawkins telling us
we have reached
the ecological tipping point
the ecological tipping point
and have a hundred years
before our plane is exhausted.
before our plane is exhausted.
There’s economic cheating
and manipulation,
and manipulation,
civil liberties denied, hate radio,
nuclear warheads
and war-heads of state
and war-heads of state
that can’t be trusted
to head off an Armageddon,
to head off an Armageddon,
incivility, starvation,
slaughtering of innocents, injustice,
slaughtering of innocents, injustice,
a media that finds it easy
to broadcast and hard
to broadcast and hard
to be real and truthful
in the casting so broadly,
in the casting so broadly,
children maimed and abused in Yemen
(by some estimates 85,000 children
starved to death so far)
and in painfully plenty of other places,
truth perverted, racism, xenophobia
and, and, and…
When tempted to hide, to cave,
to capitulate, to despair,
let’s embrace the compassion of Jesus:
“In the case of Jesus
it was God’s feeling
of compassion
that possessed him
and filled him.
that possessed him
and filled him.
All his convictions,
his faith and hope
his faith and hope
were expressions of
this fundamental experience.
this fundamental experience.
If God is compassionate,
then goodness
then goodness
will triumph over evil,
the impossible will happen and
the impossible will happen and
there is hope for humankind.
Faith and hope are the experience
of compassion as a divine emotion.”
Jesus Before Christianity
Albert Nolan
Orbis Books
1999
We do well to bring to mind and heart
what Jesus and a tiny band of disciples did
to begin a community of Love and Life,
and what The Spirit of Truth
can do through even little old us
right where we are.
In our place, let’s be sure
to band and bond with people
ready to put flesh and practice
to compassion,
to compassion,
people willing to stretch,
to touch and connect in compassion.
That could be:
*consuming less and recycling more
*praying for the Javiers of this world
*taking in a foster child
*being active in advocacy groups that
work for social and environmental justice
*emulating the attitude and action
of the Pittsburgh Moslems in caring for
the violated members
of the Jewish synagogue there in Pittsburgh
*being patient with the local loud mouth
*modifying our life style:
- having a more modest
and efficient car
and efficient car
- forgoing an expensive vacation
for a simpler one,
contributing the difference
to an inner-city
after school care center
- organizing a neighborhood co-op
to share tools, yard appliances,
and labor
*fact check policies and practices of
government, financial, media,
religious and corporate leaders –
post the findings to them and
on your preferred social media.
religious and corporate leaders –
post the findings to them and
on your preferred social media.
*in conversation and comment -
verbal, written, digital –
communicating in the accent and tones of
Ephesians 4:29:
“Do not let any unwholesome talk
come out of your mouths,
but only what is helpful
for building up others
according to their needs,
that it might benefit
those who listen.”
“Ya wanna start somethin”
something to save,
to heal, and to open
to heal, and to open
us people and our place
in the cosmos
in the cosmos
to goodness without end?
Then let’s connect in a
“humanhood”
of
COMPASSION
here at “frankly speaking”
and right there where
we each find ourselves
here on planet earth.
Thanks for sticking with this long
and straight up blog.
Holding us all in
God’s Dear Compassionate Love,
John Frank
*****
COMPASSION
THE PERENNIAL WISDOM
Let’s listen to what The Spirit says to our spirits
as we meditate and pray over
these varied articulations of compassion
from the treasury of our shared Perennial Tradition.
Then let The Spirit show us how
they can be incarnate, practical, actual and active
in our person, our people and our place.
*****
*****
CHRISTIANITY
“In everything do to others
as you would have them
do unto you…”
( Matthew 7:12 )
BAHA’I
“It is your duty to be
exceedingly kind to every human being,
and wish that person well;
to work for the upliftment of society…
to work for the upliftment of society…
until you change the world of man
into the world of God.”
into the world of God.”
( Abdul-Baha: Selections From the Writings
of Abdu’l-Baha, p.90 )
BUDDHISM
“Rage is a powerful energy
that with diligent practice
can be transformed
into fierce compassion.
However much we disagree
with our enemies,
However much we disagree
with our enemies,
our task is to identify with them.
They too feel justified
in their point of view.”
They too feel justified
in their point of view.”
( Buddha )
HINDUISM
“What sort of religion can it be
without compassion?
You need to show compassion
to all living beings.
to all living beings.
Compassion is the root
of all religious faith.”
of all religious faith.”
( Basavanna, Vachana 274 )
JAINISM
“Have benevolence towards
all living beings,
joy at the sight of the virtuous,
compassion and sympathy
for the afflicted,
for the afflicted,
and tolerance towards
the indolent and ill-behaved.”
the indolent and ill-behaved.”
( Tattvarthasutra 7.11 )
JUDAISM
“What is hateful to you,
do not do to your neighbor.
do not do to your neighbor.
this is the whole Torah;
all the rest is commentary.
Go and learn it.”
( Hillel, Talmud, Shabbath 31a )
FIRST AMERICANS
“Never criticize a man until
you’ve walked a mile
in his moccasins.”
( Proverb )
SIKHISM
“I am a stranger to no one;
no one is a stranger to me.
Indeed, I am a friend to all.”
( Guru Granth Sahib, p.1299 )
TAOISM
“Regard your neighbor’s gain
as your own gain
and your neighbor’s loss
as your own loss.”
as your own loss.”
( Lao Tzu, T’ai Shang Kan Ying P’ien, )
ZOROASTRIANISM
“Do not do to others
whatever is injurious to yourself.”
( Shayast-na-Shayast 13.39 )
BUDDHISM
“Conquer anger by love.
Conquer evil by good.
Conquer the stingy by giving.
Conquer the liar by truth.”
( Dhammapada 223 )
CHRISTIANITY
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people,
holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves
with compassion,
with compassion,
kindness, humility,
gentleness, and patience.
gentleness, and patience.
Bear with one another and
and if anyone has
a complaint against another,
a complaint against another,
forgive each other;
just as the Lord has forgiven you,
so you must forgive.
Above all, cloth yourselves with love,
which binds everything together
in perfect harmony.”
in perfect harmony.”
( Colossians 3:12-14 )
ISLAM
“Listen with ears of tolerance!
See through the eyes of compassion!
Speak with the language of love.”
( Rumi – Sufi Mystic )
BUDDHISM
“Radiate boundless love
towards the entire world –
above, below, and across –
unhindered, without ill will,
without enmity.”
( The Buddha )
HINDUISM
“One should not behave
towards others
in a way which is
disagreeable to oneself.
disagreeable to oneself.
This is the essence of morality.
All other activities are due to selfish desire.”
JUDAISM
“Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you
will not be shaken,
nor my covenant of peace be removed
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
( Isaiah 54:10 )
Christianity
The Story of the Prodigal Son
and the
Compassionate Father.
( Luke 15:11-32 )
A CONTEMPORARY THOUGHT
“Compassion and caring
are the ties
that bind us together
in mutual understanding
and the unified attempt
to uncover the Divinity
in each other.
in each other.
Compassion is the most gentle
of all human virtues,
for it is the outpouring of
Divine Givingness through all.”
( Ernest Holmes )
A CONTEMPORARY THOUGHT
“The necessary detachment
from this ugly and injurious
present political climate
from this ugly and injurious
present political climate
depends upon
our inner attachment
our inner attachment
to the mystery
of God’s unbounded
of God’s unbounded
grace and divine,
creative love.
creative love.
That is the foundation
from which we can
witness to truth,
from which we can
witness to truth,
nurture community,
and build essential bonds
of solidarity
of solidarity
with those who suffer.
More than ever,
politics which offers redemptive hope
politics which offers redemptive hope
will begin with mysticism.”
(Richard Rohr, November 15, 2018 email,
Center for Action and Contemplation)
-
Richard speaks of mysticism as
an actual awareness/involvement/experience
of/with God
Richard speaks of mysticism as
an actual awareness/involvement/experience
of/with God
as contrasted to just
religious ideas and practices)
religious ideas and practices)
)
*************************************************************************************
From the heart, welcome to those
new to our weekly gathering here.
Thank you for the gift of your presence.
To get a sense of what
we are about here please consider
WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?
and
CONSIDER YOUR SOURCE
They are to the right
of the online posting.
Scroll down to view recent postings.
“frankly speaking”
spirituality for the street
*is posted online each Friday at
johnfrankshares.blogspot.com
and can be bookmarked for ready access
*is available by automatic email delivery
each Saturday – the sign up
is at top right of the online posting
is at top right of the online posting
*past posting are available at
Blog Archive,
right column online posting.
Blog Archive,
right column online posting.
Thank You
*************************************************************************************************
*************************************************************************************************
________________________________________________________________________________________
