by Tarunjit Singh Butalia
As a kid growing up in North India, I was thrilled whenever both my parents went out since I would have the full attention of my frail and aging grandmother.
The Day My Grandparents Left Our Ancestral Home
Let’s Multiply the Love
by Sister Zeph
I was lying down, dreaming of a world where there is no hate; where everyone is smiling; where people dance in the roads with joy. A world where there is respect and equality for all. Then, suddenly, my younger sister Rahat’s phone began to ring.
Where is the Heart in the Climate Justice Movement? Where is the Music?
by Kyle Lemle
We’ve all read the numbers and heard the forecasts: 350 ppm of carbon, three meters of sea level rise, or three degrees Celsius.
On the Future of Religion
by Ben Bowler
One of the biggest problems with discussing religion is the definition of the term. Few words have such breadth and depth of meaning and even fewer words can spark such passionate debate.
Compassion – Interfaith’s Common Ground
by Paul Chaffee, Editor
In preparing each month’s TIO, we typically invite two or three more contributors than we usually publish, on the safe assumption…
A Fifth Directive Added to the Global Ethic
A TIO Report
Towards a Global Ethic – An Initial Declaration is a cornerstone of the modern interfaith movement. The text was drafted by German theologian Hans Küng at the request of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions.
Higher Education is an Inclusive Key
by Cody Nielsen
Higher education may be the most important invention of the second millennium. Consider for a second that, alongside the Gutenberg press, higher education holds a value…
Distinguishing Sympathy, Empathy, and Compassion
by Marcus Braybrooke
Sympathy, empathy, compassion; my dictionary treats them as synonyms. Contributors to the important new book Confronting Religious Violence, however, suggest there are important differences.
Matthew Fox & Lama Tsomo Explore Compassion
A TIO Interview by Megan Anderson
This month, TIO “sat” down via Zoom with Matthew Fox and Lama Tsomo to talk about compassion and the role it plays in our world today.
Dance of Compassion and Righteousness
Tarunjit Singh Butalia
A fundamental value underlying nearly every religious tradition is compassion and love for our fellow human beings. Compassion is not just about the role it plays in our traditions but…
Invoking Compassion Within
by Habīb Todd Boerger
In considering the topic of compassion, I am reminded that each of the Abrahamic faiths directs us to love and care for others – those who are poor, those who are needy, neighbors and strangers – as we love and care for ourselves.
Seeds of Interfaith Peacebuilding in Ukraine
by Lidiia Batig
In 2013 the history of Ukraine changed dramatically. Communities had been betrayed by state power, by their own politicians, and even their president.
Collaborative Compassion: A Secular Perspective
by Chris Highland
One sunny Bay Area afternoon I was walking down a sidewalk under shade trees with my class of developmentally disabled adults.
Compassion Under Extreme Duress
by Rachael Watcher
On November 8th at around 6 am a fire, allegedly started by a faulty Pacific Gas & Electric line, began at Pulga on Highway 70 in Butte County, northern California.
Growing a Generation of Compassionate Adults
by Vicki Garlock
Compassion has become quite the buzzword of late. The Dalai Lama talks about compassion, of course. That’s to be expected. But when TV stars, musicians, authors, scientists, and even politicians…
My Dad Didn’t Like Religion, but He Prepared Me for Religious Diversity
by Kevin Singer
My Dad grew up in a Jewish family. When he was a child, he was targeted with insults because of his family’s background. As a result, he was not fond of religion.
Learning to See Again: Respect in a Volatile Age
by Mark Waters
“Will I get shot if I come to Texas?” The prospective Chinese student’s query was neither melodramatic nor overstated.
Interfaith is a Verb
by Sabrina N. Jafralie
My journey with religion and interfaith started before I was born. I am the child of parents who are culturally, racially, and religiously different.
The Best of Times, The Worst of Times
by Ruth Broyde Sharone
Is the world becoming more compassionate or more hateful? This prickly question is eloquently answered in the opening paragraph of Charles Dickens’ classic tale of revolution in France, A Tale of Two Cities.
Speaking from the Heart
by Karimah Stauch
Tonight I want to share with you my tears, the cry of the deepest longing for peace. Sometimes the tensions inside are just so high…