Spiritual connections: Now is the time for compassion

In the late 19th century, Charles E. Weller, author of a book on the early history of the typewriter, invented a typing training exercise — a single sentence that exactly filled a 70-pica line: “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party.”

I remember it well because I’m of the early electric typewriter generation (and young’uns, it was a big deal to get an IBM Selectric to take to college!). However, I was a terrible hunt-and-peck typist, and my mom tried to improve my ability with that famous sentence. I think she was tiring of retyping my papers, not having benefited from typing instruction as a grade schooler, as is common practice now.

As I write to you, don’t worry — I’m touch typing.

That phrase has been going through my mind a lot in recent weeks, particularly as I watch a lot of ugliness on social media pages. Too often, there are ad hominem slams against individuals rather than attention to the content of what they are saying. If the parties involved are of different political viewpoints, then antagonism seems to be just fine — let’s keep the popcorn of posts flowing.

What are we, collectively, going to do about this? It’s a question that is on my heart and in my mind almost constantly lately.

Despite the fractiousness, I believe that people of good will of all types — believers and nonbelievers, practitioners of many different spiritual disciplines — have more in common than not. I’ve seen this vividly in the 20-plus years I’ve served on the board of Interfaith Circle.

Nearly every faith tradition teaches that compassion is at the center of a good life. In Christianity, Jesus’ call to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31) echoes the Jewish commandment in Leviticus and parallels the Buddhist principle of karuna — loving-kindness toward all beings. In Islam, one of the most frequently invoked descriptions of God is Ar-Rahman, “the Most Merciful.” Compassion is not merely an emotion but an ethical demand: to see the suffering of another and act to relieve it. This shared moral core motivates believers of many backgrounds to care for the poor, feed the hungry and advocate for justice.

We are also bound in common conviction that justice and peace are divine imperatives. The Hebrew prophets proclaimed, “Let justice roll down like waters” (Amos 5:24). The Quran commands believers to “stand firmly for justice, even against yourselves” (4:135). In Hindu thought, the concept of dharma — the moral order that sustains the universe — calls people to act with righteousness and fairness. Buddhists speak of right action and right livelihood as part of the Noble Eightfold Path.

Perhaps the most profound shared conviction is that every person bears inherent worth. Christians see this in the “image of God” (Genesis 1:27); Muslims in humanity’s creation from a single soul; Buddhists in the universal potential for enlightenment; Sikhs in the divine presence within all. This belief grounds human rights, nonviolence and interreligious respect.

Why do I highlight these things? Because now is the time for all people of faith to come to the aid of their country. A particular way we need to do this is urgent: making sure that no one in our community goes hungry as we navigate the shutdown of SNAP.

We don’t have to throw bricks at each other regarding who is to blame; instead, we must work together on the immediate need this poses for the vulnerable among us, including young families, elders and veterans. It’s a value we share across religious lines.

In Judaism, feeding the hungry is a direct commandment rooted in the Torah. Leviticus 19:9-10 instructs, “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field … you shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger.” This principle of tzedakah (righteous giving) and chesed (loving-kindness) reflects the Jewish understanding that material resources are gifts from God meant to be shared. The prophets constantly call Israel to care for the poor: Isaiah declares, “Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house” (Isaiah 58:7).

In Christianity, feeding the hungry is seen as a direct encounter with Christ himself. In Matthew 25:35, Jesus proclaims, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.” This passage underlies the Christian tradition of the corporal works of mercy. The early church in Acts 2-4 organized the sharing of food and resources as a central feature of Christian community life.

In Islam, feeding the hungry is among the most honored acts of righteousness. The Quran repeatedly commands generosity, especially to the poor and the orphaned: “And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan and the captive, saying, ‘We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude’” (Quran 76:8-9). The pillar of zakat (obligatory almsgiving) and the voluntary act of sadaqah both ensure that no one is left hungry.

Hindu scriptures also elevate feeding the hungry as a sacred duty (dharma). In the Bhagavad Gita (3:13), it is said: “The righteous who eat the remnants of sacrifice are freed from all sin, but the sinful who cook for themselves eat only sin.” Food gains spiritual meaning when shared. Many Hindu temples maintain anna dana programs — literally “food donation” — where free meals (prasadam) are offered to all, regardless of caste or creed, as acts of devotion and service.

Ways to help PROP Food

PROP provides emergency food and ongoing support for neighbors in Eden Prairie and Chanhassen.
Here are quick ways to make a difference.

Food donations may be dropped off at PROP, 14700 Martin Drive, Eden Prairie, during open hours.

Source: PROP

In Buddhism, feeding the hungry reflects dana, the virtue of giving, one of the foundational practices that cultivates compassion. The Buddha taught that generosity to those in need generates merit (punya) and opens the path to enlightenment. In the Dhammapada, he says, “If beings knew, as I know, the results of giving and sharing, they would not eat without having given.” Buddhist monasteries and lay communities traditionally share food freely with monks, travelers and the poor as expressions of compassion and interdependence.

In the days ahead, please remember the hungry. In particular, consider how you can support the wonderful work of our PROP Food Shelf, which will be poised to provide both emergency and ongoing food support.

Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their neighbor.

I close with the full text from my tradition, Christianity, quoted earlier in brief:

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’”

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

— Matthew 25:35-40 (NIV)

Editor’s note: This column was written by the Rev. Trish Sullivan Vanni, Ph.D., pastoral director and priest of the Charis Ecumenical Catholic Community in Eden Prairie.

Interested in contributing a faith-based column to EPLN? Email editor@eplocalnews.org.