Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Missions 6 and 7 of the

For Reflection:
Before moving on to Mission #7, take a moment to reflect on yesterday's mission. How did it feel to open your heart to another? Was it scary, difficult, exhilarating? What was the effect of this action on your own well-being and on the person you shared with? How might you live with your heart more openly throughout the year? If you haven't done so, post your reflections and experiences on the Compassion Report Map to amplify your compassionate action!
"Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”
-Let There Be Peace on Earth, Song by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller

Our seventh and final mission, Agents, is to make an offering of peace to another person or community from the sincerest depths of our hearts.
Let us kick off this mission by listening to the song that moved Pope Francisduring the interreligious encounter at the Ground Zero Memorial in New York.
Peace is not a noun, a thing, but rather it is a verb, a continuous intention, a way of being in the world. Peace is the willingness to be vulnerable, to seek understanding, to strive for respect and integrity, to be humble, and to reach across the chasms of disconnection and confusion with the full intention of creating lasting bonds of compassion and love.

Today’s mission, Agents, is to make an offering of peace to a person or community you feel would benefit from such an act. It might be a religious or spiritual community that has been traditionally excluded from your society. Perhaps it is a community of a different culture or place that you want to make feel more welcome. It could even be a person that you wish to have a more peaceful relationship with, whether this is a friend, family member, or coworker. Create an offering of peace in your own way - which could be a work of art, your words, a letter, a hug - and offer it to them today.
As you fulfill your mission, share your experiences on the Compassion Report Map to amplify its power! Check out all of the inspiring reports posted on the map so far!


Each day during World Interfaith Harmony Week the Compassion Torch will be passed to a new Champion of Compassion. For Day 7 of World Interfaith Harmony Week, we are humbled to finally pass the torch from Fetzer Institute to King Abdullah II of Jordan, and his initiative, World Interfaith Harmony Week!

Inspiration for Mission #7:

The inspiration for our final World Interfaith Harmony Week Coopetition is from the profound global warrior of Peace, Pope Francis.

“Instead of being just a church that welcomes and receives by keeping the doors open, let us try also to be a church that finds new roads ... to those who have quit or are indifferent.”


For Reflection:
Before moving on to Mission #6, take a moment to reflect on yesterday's mission and what it was like to Unify with Unifyre! If you haven't done so, post your reflections and experiences on the Compassion Report Map to amplify your compassionate action!
“The longest journey you will make in your life is from your head to your heart." 
The Teaching of a Sioux Legend

Today’s sixth mission, Agents, is to heed the call of our hearts by opening its secrets to someone we love.
Too often, our experiences in life lead us to believe that having an open heart is a form of weakness, a way for others to hurt us. In response, we learn to build great barriers around our hearts so that we can protect ourselves from pain. Sadly as a result, the way to our heart becomes overgrown with thorns, brambles, and the path is nearly forgotten.

Yet the heart needs no map, for it always calls to us to return to it. We know - from decades of research and thousands of years of teachings from wisdom traditions - that an open and loving heart is central to our happiness and well-being. When we express the deepest parts of ourselves to others who care for us, not only are we more joyful as a result, but those we care for are happier, as well.
It takes courage to open one’s heart, but to live an authentic life, one must be willing to take those risks to transcend our fears and find peace within ourselves. By doing so, we inspire others to share themselves as well, and together with open hearts, we can find our way to a more peaceful and loving world.
Today’s mission, Agents, is to share something that is close to your heart with someone you care about. It may be opening up about something you need help with but were too afraid to ask. It could be sharing how you feel for this person, or how much you care about them. Identify within yourself a meaningful way to open your heart to another, and see what effect it has on yourself and on them.
As you fulfill your mission, share your experiences on the Compassion Report Map to amplify its power! Check out all of the inspiring reports posted on the map so far!

Going Deeper:

Want to take this Mission a bit further? Dr. James Doty, Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at Stanford University and champion of compassion, developed an mnemonic alphabet of the heart to deepen the practice of opening the heart every day. Read the alphabet of the heart here, and use it to guide and support your journey in opening your heart to another for today’s mission.

Each day during World Interfaith Harmony Week the Compassion Torch will be passed to a new Champion of Compassion. For Day 6 of World Interfaith Harmony Week, we are very, very blessed to pass the Compassion Torch from the Choose Love Foundation to Meg Gaiser, and Leadership for Diversity

It is for their timely vision of our world's needs and so much more that we are honored to spotlight Leadership for Diversity as today's Champion of Compassion.

Inspiration for Mission #6:

Inspiration for this mission comes from the teachings and lifelong commitment of His Holiness the 16th Dalai Lama, who says, “My religion is simple. My religion is kindness.”

Additional Resources:

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