It’s the newest national holiday. It’s a day to commemorate the liberation of enslaved people in America. It’s been a huge celebration for the black people of Texas since 1865. But how should we, as white people, descendants of those who supported and benefitted from chattel slavery, honor this day? It’s a party in the black community – but do we have a right to join in?
This congregation has committed to live into the proposed 8th principle of Unitarian Universalism, working to accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions. The actions we take to honor Black lives, to right historic wrongs in our nation, call us to engage our minds, hearts and spirits to restore justice and wholeness for all.
Author Isabel Wilkerson suggests that we cultivate radical empathy as a positive response to racism, connecting with each other at the human heart of our shared existence. How do we live in an interdependent world where we share humanity in innumerable diverse ways? How do we balance the calls for equality and equity to create a world of justice for all?
The Celtic tradition of Samhein celebrates the bounty of harvest as we enter the season of cold and darkness. In this time, tradition has it that the veil between the planes of existence becomes thin, and we sense the continuing presence of those who have gone before. How shall we deepen into this mystical time of the year, acknowledging the transitory and the permanent in all things?
J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece “The Lord of the Rings” is much more than a simple fairy tale. As Tolkien watched industrialization overtake the lush Midlands where he grew up, a nascent environmental passion was born. One of the last chapters of the Lord of the Rings – the Scouring of the Shire – became Tolkien’s own statement on man’s stewardship of the earth. Join us as we explore the wonders of the Shire, the threat faced by that small corner of Middle Earth and Tolkien’s challenge to us to protect what is good & green in our own environment.
As we commemorate Indigenous People’s Day, National Coming Out Day, and prepare for a forum on Reparations and Reconciliation, how can we act on our UU commitment fully to honor human worth and dignity , moving in our faith toward full and open-hearted inclusion of all? Isabel Wilkerson’s concept of Radical Empathy lights the way as we embark on this path to justice and wholeness in our full humanity.
Humanist thought is woven throughout Unitarian Universalism, and in these times of uncertainty, we draw strength from Humanist values that help us to become better people and build a better world. In keeping with our tradition of lifelong learning, we consider three viewpoints of what Humanism means and how it relates to our Unitarian Universalist faith.
