Rabbi Jackie Tabick on Compassion

We used a great Ted talk from Rabbi Jackie Tabick on compassion at Sunday Stuff last week. Rabbi Tabick is a cheerful and engaging woman with a gently passionate manner. Her talk is part of the 'Charter for Compassion', a project to gather support for compassion as the central value uniting humanity and religions.

Rabbi Tabick focuses on the everyday challenges of being compassionate. She reminds us that saying we will love our neighbors is all very well, but often we dislike them! She draws on the ancient Jewish teachings of the Torah and the ongoing Rabbinic teachings to illustrate the idea that compassion and justice need to be in balance so that compassion is possible. Our capacity to be compassionate is enhanced by accepting our true selves, understanding when compassion needs to be moderated by justice and then performing acts of kindness as we can.

Rabbi Tabick's talk at Ted is worth watching (it's only 18 minutes), I personally found it very interesting inspiring and comforting. I found the insights into the Torah and Rabbinic teachings gave me a fresh perspective on Jesus' teachings, as Jesus was certainly a Jewish wisdom teacher.

After engaging with Jackie's ideas, I have started exploring the idea that 'mission' may be best described as an act of compassion. I'm inspired to deepen my understanding of mission by exploring how compassion has been a part of Christian spirituality since Jesus time.

So, a good video, well worth watching, and more ideas to engage with.

Sunday Stuff is back on for May

Solace Sunday Stuff has started back for May.


9 May
All Ages Singing
Video - the challenges of compassion & facilitated chat about being compassionate
Multi-Sensory Prayer options

16 May
All Ages Jesus Meal
Meditation practice
Video - a secular view on compassion

23 May
All Ages Story Time
Taize

30 May
Games for everyone!
Olivia McLean on compassion in the Seven Ways of the Christian tradition.

Sunday Stuff is an experimental emergent church in Melbourne.

Sunday 1:45pm (doors open) for 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote
Contact Paul Minty on paulm@solace.emc.org.au or 0418 307 475