I LOVE Phoenix in March. Every year, I am in awe of the desert sprouting the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. Each January as it rains, I get excited for how much floral beauty that will create.
It is so appropriate that our theme for this stewardship campaign is “Growing Your UUCP Garden.” There are so many ways that this community is like the beautiful desert flowers and a gorgeous garden. We all have our own unique patterns into the fabric of existence, and just as flowers bloom in their own time and place, so too do we, as individuals and as a collective, have the opportunity to flourish and grow.
In the Unitarian Universalist tradition, we are guided by principles that call us to honor the worthiness and dignity of every person, to seek justice, equity, and compassion, and to respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part, and what better metaphor for this interconnectedness than the humble flower?
Consider for a moment the delicate petals of a rose, or the vibrant hues of a field of wildflowers. Each blossom, though unique in its beauty, relies on the nourishment of the earth, the warmth of the sun, and the gentle caress of the wind to thrive. In much the same way, we are called to be stewards of our community, nurturing the soil of it’s activities, basking in the light of love and understanding, and embracing the winds of change with open hearts and open minds.
Stewardship is a sacred trust–a calling to tend to the garden of life with reverence and care. Just as a gardener tends to their flowers with diligence and devotion, so too must we cultivate the seeds of compassion, justice, and understanding in our own hearts and in our community.
I hope the wisdom of flowers nurtures you this week as we head into our Flower Communion. I hope you know that each one of you has the power to nurture the seeds of love and community and to help our world blossom into its fullest potential.