It is a humbling experience to preach a sermon and then read a message from one of your heroes with the same message. Shortly after I preached Sunday’s Stewardship Kick-Off message, Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt posted this on her social media. As usual, her words are significantly more graceful than mine, but it is a good message to amplify in these challenging times.
In disheartening and exhausting times like these, our faith calls us to find strength in each other. Unitarian Universalists are a sanctuary people; a people who aim to create safety for both body and soul within our communal spaces. We are also a faithful people–drawn to communal care not just by our ethics, but by our historic religious tradition.
Our congregations and communities are rare places where people can be vulnerable enough to build trust and capacity for resistance. And this is why, as Unitarian Universalists, we are called to build and sustain community; it is the greatest tool we have for resilience.
As your UUA President, I cannot promise you ease or an end to the onslaught of dangerous and damaging changes coming from the US federal government. But I will promise you community. I promise to be with you, and beside you, as we bear witness to the values on which we will never compromise. Values of justice, of interconnection, of democracy, and the dignity and worthiness of all.
Also, I mentioned on Sunday that I’ve heard a number of you ask “What do I do?” “When do I do it?” or even “I feel like I must do something now!” To all of these, I offer you another resource from our denomination, this one from our Love Resists group. They challenge us to make sure we are strategic, grounded in collective liberation and held in accountable partnership. These are how we stay grounded in our values and principles. You can read more here–it continues to challenge us and help us grow at the same time.