For  many years, I spent most Monday evenings in the basement of All Souls Church in New York City, where their fellowship hall, nicknamed “Friendship Hall,” was transformed into a dining room for over 300 guests.

Have you ever been worshipped? I’m not talking about the “bring offerings to an altar built in your name” kind of worship—although if you do happen to have offerings of chocolate, I’m open.

I entered prison in 1989 and did not care about beauty. I hadn’t for many years. I did not seek it, didn’t even pay attention to it.

Do you find beauty—even inspiration—in the words that you find in Quest each month?

When my child Jie was 4, we were waiting in line at the post office behind a very dark-skinned man who wore a kufi cap, tunic and pants of a colorful African fabric featuring oranges, yellows and reds. My child looked up at him in wonder. “You’re beautiful!” Jie declared.

The saying goes that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” What is beautiful to one person might very well do nothing for another.

You can listen to audio recordings of Quest Monthly, read back issues or get electronic versions of the text to share with friends (and much more) at  questformeaning.org

What to do with beauty?

or joy, for that matter—

in the midst of tragedy,

of violence, of cruelty?

Every spring at Stonewall Farm in Keene, New Hampshire—and at other dairy farms throughout northern New England—there’s a festival to celebrate the season.

Free and responsible. I would venture to say that freedom is the most cherished religious value for Unitarian Universalists.