Dear Ones,

Over the next two Sundays, we will be exploring what it means for us as Unitarian Universalists to harness love’s power to stop oppression and to build beloved community. Working for justice in the world is core to our Unitarian Universalist principles, but if we truly wish to create change, we must begin with ourselves and our communities. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and those recently lost to us- writer and educator bell hooks, and South African leader Archbishop Desmond Tutu- understood this well. Real change begins within and is enacted through our relationships with one another.

Across the country, Unitarian Universalists are considering adopting an addition to the seven principles which recognizes the intersection of our inner and outer work. The eighth principle upholds “journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions”. I invite us to consider the meaning of these words as they pertain to who we are as individuals and as a congregation. How might we embody them in our lives?

The work to stop oppression and create justice in our world is one that we do Within, Among, and Beyond us.  It is spiritual, soul-searching work that leads us to reflect on our identities, our histories, and our relationships. I invite you to consider your own place in this work. How might we honor and learn from the complexity of our stories as they intersect with one another in community? How might we create the Beloved Community together?

With hopes for an ongoing conversation,
Rev. Terri