October is a time of turning. Autumn leaves turn from green to gold, from orange to brown. The Jewish Days of Awe invite a turning of the heart, through atonement, from past harms to new beginnings. And here in the United States, in this election season, we find ourselves doing all we can to turn our Democracy in the direction of hope.

Buddhist teacher Joanna Macy writes about a time of Great Turning, which is happening on a global scale in a time of climate change. The Great Turning is a global change of heart and ways of living, a more nurturing, appreciative and sustainable relationship with the Web of Life, a shift toward a life-enhancing human presence on Planet Earth. Many changes in our world are frightening: devastating climate disasters, the heartbreaking loss of human lives through violence and war, the manipulation of truth imperiling our freedom. But we can also find, at all levels, the people steadfastly committed to turning with the power of love.

A wise colleague recently shared this message with a group of ministers: We cannot stop the turning, but we can choose the way we turn. Do we turn with resistance and anger? Or do we turn with openness and love? I have been pondering this message this month at UUC, and I have been moved by the way we are working collectively to turn faithfully together.

Since September, we have joined together for Democracy through letter-writing and postcarding to swing state voters and interfaith conversations about how to resist White Christian Nationalism. And next Thursday at 6PM, I invite you to join me at Ferguson Library next Thursday for an Interfaith Panel on Faith and the Vote, as we affirm our value of pluralism by honoring each person’s voice in our democracy.

We also bring our hearts and hands to the turning through giving generously to those in need. We are currently gathering items for Pacific House’s Baskets of Hope collection, in order to support those moving from homelessness and emergency shelter to permanent housing. Our Share the Plate collections this Fall have helped support immigrants in Stamford through Building One Community, and (currently) people impacted by Hurricanes Milton and Helene through the UUA Disaster Relief Fund.

This coming Sunday we will join with UU’s across our nation who have been participating in Climate Justice Revivals. The purpose of these revivals is to move from a “Me to We” mindset to create in this Great Turning a flourishing future together. Sunday’s event will kick off a week of actions that we can do on our own or in small groups- and culminate in an action that we can take together by joining with our Religious Education families in a clean up event at Cove Island Park on Saturday, October 26th. { Please consider walking, biking, or carpooling to service this Sunday as our first community climate challenge! }

Here at UUC, let us live into our vision to work collectively to heal the world through love. That word ‘collectively’ matters immensely, as the world is too heavy to turn on our own, as isolated individuals. But together we can move this world along, as songwriter Ruth Pelham writes, “with every voice, with every song… and our lives will feel the echo of our turning”.

With love at the center.
Rev. Terri