Thursday, May 22, 2014

Justice, equity, and compassion and compassion is the greatest of the three when it comes to forgiveness

Yesterday I wrote; "Our goal as Unitarian Universalists is not to get people into heaven, but heaven into people and forgiveness is the alchemy which turns coal into gold." and today, I find an article on the PsyBlog entitled, "Forgiveness: The Wonderful Psychological Perks". Increasingly research is showing that people who forgive are happier, more mentally healthy, have less stress and live longer. For a description of  the latest research on forgiveness published in Psychological Science, click here.

Osho describes science and religion being two sides of the same coin of life, science looking outward, and religion looking inward. In this case, it is interesting that psychological science is confirming what religion has been teaching for millennia.

What Unitarian Universalism teaches is justice, equity, and compassion in human relations and I think when it comes to a forgiving heart, compassion is the greatest of the three.

2 comments:

  1. I agree that compassion is the greatest of the three. We often forget that "justice" and "equity" have to be multi-laterally negotiated. One person cannot alone decide what the just or equitable thing is. In order to listen to the perceptions, desires, judgments of the other we have to exercise compassion so compassion comes first before we get to justice and equity.

    I'm glad to see the blog up and running again. I have missed it. Thank you for your good work and all your efforts.

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  2. I am reminded of Karen Armstrong's Charter for Compassion. She seems to take compassion in the direction of social justice while I think you are getting at something a little different. It has to do more with a state of mind, a consciousness. Compassion is not what you do, although it certainly is that, is more what you choose to be. Is compassion what you do, or what you are, i.e. a quality of consciousness. If you have the quality of consciousness then the rest follows naturally doesn't it?

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