I completely understood why people didn’t want to have me over, because I probably wouldn’t want me over either. But at the same time, I asked them, where is compassion? Who has a heart? Can’t somebody bend for a little while? When is anybody going to realize that I’m not going to be able to solve any of my “boundary issues” or exacerbations of ADHD or Bipolar Disorder if I don’t find that somebody loves me enough to make a simple sacrifice — and, yet, nobody will.
This Memorial Day, I’m commemorating the life of Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. In terms of recognition and admiration he is second only to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
Let me be frank: in order to have a society where forgiveness and compassion and pluralism exist, there are basic ground rules that must be agreed upon before this can take place. The first being the rule of law and the second being respect for the democratic process.
In this short book Martin urges Catholic leaders to treat the LGBT community with “respect, compassion and sensitivity.” Likewise, he encourages gays to treat the church the same way.
There is something about walking through the world in a generous way, in a loving way, in a compassionate way that makes everyone whom you meet a little bigger and a little freer.