John and Lisa's Blue Skies Blog – Soaring with God

Several years ago, I told my spiritual director I thought the spiritual journey is like a spiral staircase:  Although we’re making slow, steady progress, we often feel we’re going in circles or moving backward as well as forward.  He liked this analogy a lot.  I told him I didn’t make it up; I read it in the writings of some saint – but I couldn’t remember who.

When I went home to research this topic on the internet, all I could find was Karen Armstrong’s book, The Spiral Staircase – her memoir of living as a Roman Catholic nun, becoming disillusioned and eventually leaving the Church as a seeker after Truth.  At the time, I wasn’t interested in reading the book since I was a diehard conservative Catholic and didn’t want to read anything that might “endanger” my faith.

John and I have read The Spiral Staircase and some of Armstrong’s other books such as A Short History of Myth; Buddha; and A History of God.  We are continually amazed by her knowledge and her ability to make complex ideas understandable.

Today, I discovered that she has been instrumental in creating and promoting the Charter for Compassion.  This charter advocates compassion as the basis for all authentic religions and calls people everywhere to practice this deep compassion.  The Charter, based on the Golden Rule (valid in all religions) has been formed through a collaboration of religious leaders and high thinkers everywhere.  It is backed by an impressive array of Partner Organizations. 

I invite you to read the Charter and affirm it if you feel so inspired.  May we all treat others as we wish to be treated.