Communities of faith are uniquely positioned to become courageous communities of compassion in the face of a culture of fear.
Building Courageous Communities of Compassion
(Originally published on May 18, 2022, under the “Faith Matters” series in the Flamborough Review community newspaper.)
Compassion requires courage
We live in a world where being compassionate sometimes has a cost. It sometimes requires courage. Sticking up for people who need support these days can land you on the receiving end of venomous attacks. As we approach Pride Month, let’s acknowledge that even flying a rainbow flag can trigger vandalism.
I believe that the opposite of love is not hate; it is fear. Hate is merely a manifestation of fear. We live in a culture that is so fear-based these days, that acts of genuine love and compassion have become triggering for fear-based people. We perceive threats everywhere and we’re chronically on the defense.
Love is the antidote to fear
If love is the opposite of fear, then that also means that love is the antidote to fear. In fact, in the end, love and compassion are the only long-lasting antidotes to fear.
In October 2019, when grade nine Hamilton student, Devan Selvey, was murdered, it resulted in HWDSB establishing a Safe Schools Review Panel. I, and many others, became personally involved in that process. The panel’s final report had an overarching theme: there is a culture of fear present in schools. The antidote to a culture of fear is to create a culture of compassion.
Becoming a Courageous Community of Compassion
I believe places of worship have a unique opportunity and responsibility to be courageous communities where compassion is taught in the face of the culture of fear that we find in the world today. But the church has not always been a safe space for everyone in the past. We need to be honest about that fact or we can’t change it. Compassion can be its own barometer. Do you see acts of compassion being demonstrated or is it all talk? Let actions speak louder than words as you seek safe spaces to learn how to be more compassionate in the face of a world of fear.
