Almost two years ago the City of Tulsa adopted a charter of compassion. The organization that grew out of that -- Compassionate Tulsa -- has invited people of all faiths to "Make Tulsa Golden" by following the Golden Rule which is common to all our faith traditions, treating others as we would like to be treated. That is a concept integrally related to compassion, a word formed from the Latin patior and cum, literally 'suffering, or experiencing, with.' Last week at the first adult Trialogue of this year, presented by the Oklahoma Conference for Community and Justice at Peace Academy, we were all given an opportunity to take the pledge to make Tulsa Golden and to receive a certificate. Each pledger was then photographed holding one's certificate. When it was my turn before the camera, I was actually photobombed by my friend Aliya Shimi, assistant director of Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry!
So here I was making this promise which I last made at my Confirmation in 1963 and to which I have not been one hundred percent faithful. Pledging to follow the Golden Rule reminds us that nothing we do is isolated. Every action radiates outwards. We only need look at the fallout in our culture from half-baked Christianity, in which our religious establishment has been re-formed by the culture and its politics rather than the other way round. As a result we see Christian leaders and groups that support war and imperialism, wealth accumulation (on the theory that being rich is a sign of divine favour and being poor is a sign you haven't had enough faith and God is not impressed with you), and judging others, especially those most different. All of these are 180 degrees away from what Jesus taught us, reminding how easily Jesus can become our mascot and not our saviour.
Actually practising compassion, living out the Golden Rule, strengthens us and strengthens the community which, in turn, further strengthens us. It is a win-win to take Jesus seriously, and to join the panoply of non-Christian religions in committing to a lifestyle that is compassionate towards all. We are always moving towards the Kingdom of God or walking away from it; we cannot walk away from it and pretend to be followers of Jesus.
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