The highest activity we can aspire to in this life is to acquire virtues. Among these, we believe are two that God demonstrates in abundance to us and in turn expects us to demonstrate to each other: justice and compassion. We know God is compassionate because if God acted with pure, untempered justice, nothing much would be left of us. As Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I tremble for my country when I consider that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.” The fact that any of us are allowed to remain in the game of life is proof of God’s infinite capacity for compassion.

The world’s religions are full of wisdom about compassion … for each other, for animals, for the planet itself. We must occasionally even remember to show compassion to ourselves when we’re tempted to dwell on our own shortcomings. When most of us think of compassion, we think of sharing our material substance with the poor, and this is critical. Abdu’l-Baha, a Central Figure of the Baha’i Faith, said: “Each one of you must have great consideration for the poor and render them assistance. Organize in an effort to help them and prevent increase of poverty.” At the same time, we must remember all the ways we manifest compassion — in giving spiritual sustenance as well as material, in giving emotional support to a friend or a stranger. And occasionally, as in the case of the victim of a crime or their family, the greatest compassion can come in the form of justice itself.

Compassion and justice are twin fuels that blend to propel our society onward and upward.

written by Avrel Seale, Austin Baha’i Community