Message given at Durham Friends Meeting, July 13, 2025
“If you want to be happy, practice compassion.If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.” — The Dalai Llama
“Our human compassion binds us one to another –not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.” — Nelson Mandela
What is Compassion? One common understanding, which I embrace, is that it is standing with people in their suffering and working together to alleviate it.
When Madiba “Nelson” a name give to him by an English school teacher, Mandela, a privileged prince of his people, allied with their suffering under the oppression of apartheid, he lost his status, his liberty and forfeited his ability to speak or act on behalf of those who could not speak or act for themselves. Sentenced to life imprisonment at a penal colony on a remote island, he was assigned to break rocks all day, every day, for 18 years. After contracting tuberculosis, he was relocated to the mainland where he was under pressure to ally with the ruling government as they came under increasing international pressure to “solve” their dehumanizing policies. His life sentence continued.
“The South African government periodically made conditional offers of freedom to Mandela, most notably in 1976, on the condition that he recognize the newly independent—and highly controversial—status of the Transkei Bantustan and agree to reside there. An offer made in 1985 required that he renounce the use of violence. Mandela refused both offers, the second on the premise that only free men were able to engage in such negotiations and, as a prisoner, he was not a free man.” — Encyclopedia Britannica
He was finally released in 1990, having been banned from public life on and off since 1952.
Yet, during all that time, his writings were smuggled out and published, his speeches taught and quoted, his will was never broken. And, he learned to forgive his captors and embrace non violence and active resistance.He was able to practice compassion not only for the injured and oppressed, he actively practiced compassion for their oppressors. He instituted the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as president of the country that had persecuted him, under the leadership of Desmond Tutu. The world celebrates Madiba Mandela Day on July 18.
In the words of the scientist and healer, Louis Pasteur, who gave us the germ theory of disease, which is once again under attack: “One does not ask of one who suffers: What is your country and what is your religion? One merely says: You suffer, that is enough for me.” — Louis Pasteur
And where do we stand , Friends? In our testimonies of Integrity, Peace, Community, Simplicity, Equality and some would add Service, are we seeking to live those values into the world?
Are our lives the “patterns and examples” as urged on us by George Fox? How do we “Answer that of God” in everyone we meet?
We do not do it alone, we do it in and with beloved community and in the words of Irish Friend Simon Lamb, (and for those of us who remember Edie Lamb Whitehead, she was a member of this same family, as her life showed) in speaking to an international gathering of Friends in 2002
“So here is God laying the burden of responsibility for changing our sad and broken world on our shoulders. For early Friends saw it as being called to bring the kingdom of heaven here to earth now. But God could not and does not abandon us to handle this task on our own. Nor does God expect us to achieve miracles purely in our own strength. That is why our living experiential relationship with God is so essential. For in this relationship is our strength. Our daily knowledge of God walking by our side, carrying us when we do not feel up to the task, encouraging and convincing us when we need that extra push, forgiving us when we choose to ignore or reject those burdens laid upon us, is what drives us into action and supports us while we carry out the responsibilities we are called to.” — Simon Lamb, Ireland YM, FWCC, 2002.
