A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by admin | Dec 21, 2015 | Message from Kahu

THE CHARTER FOR COMPASSION

During the week of Christmas, I cannot think of a more important message than that of having compassion. On Sunday, I shared how the Gospel writer Luke set the stage for the drama of Jesus’ life with compassion. The word “mercy” showed up four times in the first chapter of Luke, which is the word for used when compassion, grace or love is demonstrated to others; and then Luke spends the rest of the Gospel showing how Jesus broke down the walls that stand between people and the compassion we have for them, making all people our neighbors and friends.

At the Parliament of the World’s Religions, which I attended in Salt Lake City in October, Karen Armstrong spoke of compassion and the Charter for Compassion, which she was instrumental in writing. It is an important document, which calls for people of all faiths to commit to living with compassion for others. I recently signed the charter and invite you to do the same.

The charter is written below in full. If you would like to see and hear it read by a group of diverse and articulate people in a powerful way, please click: CHARTER FOR COMPASSION. On that page, you can also sign the charter and commit to living with compassion.

During this season in which we celebrate God’s love, my prayer is that we will live in a world where compassion is evident everywhere.

I hope to see you on Christmas Eve for our service of candles and carols and on Christmas Day for Holy Communion.

Mele Kalikimaka me Aloha Nui!

Kahu Alan Akana

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THE CHARTER FOR COMPASSION:

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by admin | Dec 17, 2015 | Message from Kahu

HOPE!  PEACE!  JOY!  LOVE!

During the Season of Advent, we celebrate hope, peace, joy and love. We do so as we light the Advent candles each Sunday. We also focus on these four words in our worship themes, Scripture readings, prayers and sermons. We reflect on these four words every year at Advent because they are central to our faith and our lives.

As I listen to the news every morning and read the newspaper each day, I am convinced all the more that we must reflect on these words if we choose to follow Jesus Christ. In the news, I hear of terrorism, refugees, environmental crises, and poverty. Without hope, peace, joy and love in our minds and on our hearts, I wonder if we would all sink into despair.

Yet, these four words are what we need to remember not just during Advent but throughout the year, as we commit to making the world a better place and the lives of others more fulfilling…for we cannot keep hope, peace, joy and love to ourselves. Sharing them is part of their nature.

So, may our lives overflow with hope, peace, joy and love…and may they “flow over” onto the lives of others. I hope to see you on Christmas Sunday as we celebrate the coming of Christ into this world.

Aloha nui loa!

Kahu Alan Akana

A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by admin | Dec 8, 2015 | Message from Kahu

PEACE ON EARTH

On Sunday, we read the story of the shepherds who were watching their sheep on the night Jesus was born. They were approached by an angel who told them about the birth of Jesus. Then a host of angels appeared, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.”

I talked about the shepherds and what their lives were like. They were a group of people who knew very little peace—especially at night while they guarded their flocks in the dark from dangerous predators. They were among the poorest of the working class; they did the job that no one else wanted. While everyone else was comfortably sleeping in their beds, the shepherds were wide awake and ready to protect their flocks from packs of wolves. Furthermore, they lived in a culture that didn’t know much about peace, for the Romans ruled with brutality and terror.

So news of peace came unexpectedly to the shepherds. They figured they must be the last people on earth to receive news of peace! Nevertheless, God chose them to be among the first people to learn of the good news that a baby was born who would bring peace to all.

My prayer this week for the people of Koloa Union Church is that we would all experience the peace of God, for God’s favor rests upon us all; and may we share God’s peace with others!

Aloha nui!

Kahu Alan Akana