There Is No Easier Way
What matters more is that we are willing to live our lives in the shape of what is being asked, not hope that what we are asked to do will fit the shape of our lives.
For the Sake of the Common Good
When we study history, we learn that freedom is rarely freedom for all, and is more often freedom for some at the expense of others. At times, we’re called to surrender some of our freedom in order to serve The Whole.
All of Us Love Poorly Sometimes
All of us love poorly at some point, and infusing our community with ownership and repentance is contagious. Say you’re sorry. Ask forgiveness. This leads not only to stronger relationships but to better humans, and this world needs better humans.
Connection as Resistance
In her 1975 theological treatise Suffering, German liberation theologian Dorothee Söelle* examines the ways that suffering can knit humans beings closer together, and can draw us more fully into the process of loving. She uses the term apatheia, “the inability to suffer,” to describe the...
The Wellspring of Moral Action
The ground of challenging injustice is gratitude, the heartfelt desire to honor the wonder of that which is.
On White Supremacy Culture and Why I Use These Words
It's very uncomfortable for me to read/write/say "white supremacy culture," so it's my way of directly challenging my own right to comfort.
Hello, My Name Is . . .
I am part of a religious community because we promise not to reduce each other to terrible labels, not to strip each other of our humanity, not to ascribe levels of worthiness to one another.
All Water Is Connected
All the water on earth is really one water, continuously flowing through the biosphere. Even if we get water from our kitchen tap, that water has been around the world on its journey. All water is connected, and connects all of life. ...
Spiritual Theft
Don’t try to steal someone else’s culture. Do your own spiritual work. Research the stories of your ancestors. Trace the journeys that brought them to the land where you now reside. Learn the stories of their brokenness and their connections.
Extremists of Justice
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish truth. Through violence you murder the hater, but...
In This Delicate Turning
I am running out of truths to tell and ways of saying them. It is time now to keep this beloved faith from fracturing, moreover, in this delicate turning let us remember that before anything, ante todos, somos sere humanos, we are human beings who have chosen to travel together.
The Young People in the Church
From "The Young People in the Church," September 20, 1902 ...
Easter and Ostara
Easter gets its name from the Teutonic goddess of spring and the dawn. The earth reawakens to a burgeoning new season of life-giving, life-affirming gifts.
Standing with Love
If you're new to Unitarian Universalism, one of the things you will learn is that we are extremely proud of our history. In truth, our history is full of great things but it also has its share of shameful moments and embarrassing episodes. But we can trace our history and list the myriad ways that...
Learning from Daffodils
When you look at a daffodil there are lots of things you notice (note: you can ask and get responses). Almost no one ever notices the little withered brown bit at the base of the flower. ...