Religious, Spiritual & Ethical Life

Religious, Spiritual
& Ethical Life

Providing spiritual and personal
support to students, faculty,
staff, and the MIT community

Interfaith Call for Compassion


We, the chaplains of MIT, walked the campus in the week of November 6 to share a simple message:
 

May compassion grow.

Aloha kekahi i kekahi, Love one another —Traditional [Hawaiian Indigenous].The call is to love one another always, even in moments when it is difficult. Rather than demanding love and respect or withholding our love and compassion until it is earned, we are challenged to take the first step in sharing our aloha. 


We walk the way we want to live.

Truth is good. It is the best. It is light. Illumination is given unto those who are good for the sake of righteousness itself. Amen. – Traditional [Zoroastrian]


We walk together,
because our many faiths and philosophies teach us to value human connection and to respect those who are different from us.

God has shown us in the character of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) the model of a compassionate person. He treated everyone, friends and foe, man and woman, young and old, with kindness and respect. – Majd Arbil, Islamicity [Muslim]


We walk slowly,
because it takes time to listen to each other and respond, not just react.

Loving-kindness demands more than a momentary tear and a cold coin. Loving-kindness means ‎empathizing with one’s fellow [humans], identifying with [their] hurt and feeling responsibility for [their] fate. - Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik [Jewish] 


We walk humbly,
knowing the people we meet have unique experiences that only they can fully understand.

O Children of Men!  Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. – From the Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh [Bahá'í]


We walk with gratitude,
for the open minds, generous hearts, and hardworking hands of MIT.

May all be happy and healthy. 
May all see what is good and may no one experience misery. 
May all overcome their obstacles and acquire good tendencies.
May people everywhere find joy and fulfillment. –Traditional [Hindu]


We walk to strengthen our hope
for justice and peace in this place and around the world.

From deep suffering comes deep compassion./ From deep compassion comes a peaceful heart./ From a peaceful heart comes a peaceful person./ From a peaceful person comes a peaceful family and community./ From peaceful communities comes a peaceful nation./ From peaceful nations comes a peaceful world. – Samdech Preah Maha Ghosananda [Buddhist]


We walk across the whole campus,
because every living group, office, classroom, and lab is a place where compassion can grow.

It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it. -- Eleanor Roosevelt [Humanist]

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. – Prayer of St. Francis [Christian]

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