Living Compassion in Community (PHOTOS)

Last night, Rev. Ric Matthews and Jannet Ann Nordemann joined us for Living Compassion in Community. Here are a few photos from the event.

To open the evening, Rev. Ric Matthews shared some stories from his work with First United Church. He said that compassion is both about sharing a sacred space as well as about moving from the idea of charity – one gives to another – to mutuality, the idea that each of us is a gift to one another.

Jannet Ann Nordemann discussed some of her work with Canadians 4 Compassion, a group dedicated to uniting Canadians through compassion and helping Canada to become a compassionate nation. Her work is very much tied into Karen Armstrong's Charter for Compassion, and Jannet showed a special video in which young children answered the question, "what would the world be like if everyone practiced the Golden Rule?"

The evening also featured a discussion with Noel MacDonald and Mario Lima, moderated by Lidia Kemeny. Both Noel and Mario participate in the community at First United with Rev. Matthews and they talked about what it means to live compassion in the community.

Part of Jannet's work with Canadians 4 Compassion includes a smart phone and tablet app, which she shared with the audience last night. The app allows users to share compassionate actions that they've experienced, and then Canadians across the country can see where compassion is spreading.

Stay tuned for more from this event, including the complete audio and video podcasts. For more on Rev. Ric Matthews' work at First United, check out his blog. For more on Canadians 4 Compassion, please visit their website.