CULTIVATING COMPASSION
Vision for Living... ...continued from page 73
sion Farm Sanctuary in Aus - tralia frames the existential question before us so ele- gantly and simply: “If we could live happy and healthy lives with- out harming others, why wouldn’t we?” And environmental ar - chitect William McDonough frames it as a transfor- mational challenge that goes beyond “do no harm” to an affirmative choice: “How do we love all of the children of all species for all time?” As for my own parting question, I would simply add: “If not now, why? If not now, when?” It’s time.
Discovering Our Souls And Becoming Worthy What gives me optimism and joy as an animal rights activist is the awareness that the tide is rapidly turning worldwide—most often led by the rising generations, not to mention billionaire investors!—to- ward a more nuanced understanding of animals and adjusting our eating, other forms of consumption, and our lifestyles accordingly. As Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker wrote: “The animals of theworldexist for their own reasons. Theywerenotmade for humans any more than black people were made for whites or women for men.” And as Martin Luther King, Jr., foresaw: “One day the absur - dity of the almost universal human belief in the slavery of oth- er animals will be palpable. We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them.” And so, hearkening back to the Henry Beston quote (above), if humans were to treat other species as nations worthy of our honor, respect, caring, and protection, indeed, our peace- ful coexistence, might it not also naturally follow that we would treat other human nations and identity groups likewise? Andthen,mightthisbethetransformationhistoryisholdingitsbreath for at this verymoment the evolutionary leap for humankind that final - ly, ultimately, brings peace on Earth & a true Communion of Subjects? Parting Questions Yet again, to turn to wisdom far greater than my own and to con- clude a piece of writing that is filled with question marks, Edgar’s Mis -
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Cynthia Sampson holds an MS in Environmental Communications (University of Wisconsin), Masters in International Affairs (Co - lumbia University), and pursued doctoral studies (ABD) in Conflict Analysis and Resolution (George Mason University). She worked in program development and fundraising with several global interfaith organizations and as a coauthor and co-editor of three books: Reli- gion, the Missing Dimension of Statecraft (Oxford University Press, 1994), From the Ground Up: Mennonite Contributions in Interna - tional Peacebuilding (Oxford University Press, 2000), and Positive Approaches to Peacebuilding: A Resource for Innovators (Pact Publi- cations, 2003). These days Cynthia is passionately committed to pre- serving and protecting the entire community of life as a “communion of subjects” and to “loving all the children of all species for all time”. Cam MacQueen is the creator and manager of the col- umn, “Culitvating Compassion.” If you have a suggestion for an article, please contact her at ncm.advocacy@gmail.com.
74—PATHWAYS—Summer 21
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