UUSLO

What lessons might a virus teach us about creating beloved community?

It is difficult to open myself to opposing--or even alternative--viewpoints when I know that I'm right. And yet, I must support what I believe is right when confronting what is wrong...right? How do we balance compassionate listening with courageous conviction?

Most everyone knows what is meant by "The Dream Speech." Lesser known is this title of a short story by Delmore Schwartz that may help us grasp Martin Luther King's words in a new way.

It is said sometimes as an acknowledgment that I cannot fully understand your experience from the inside. And it is sometimes said as…well, what?

An epiphany is an experience of a sudden and striking realization; an awareness beyond what we had previously imagined.

“Fear not,” is a consistent, persistent message brought by angels in the Christmas stories. “Fear is the opposite of faith,” writes Jan Christian. “When we act out of fear, we are in danger of inadvertently creating what we most fear.” How do we let go of fear? Where do we find assurance?

When I was told this as a child, it usually meant, “STOP whatever it is you’re doing and be quiet.” Does it have a different meaning in sacred writings and teachings? How does it take shape in our lives?

The beautiful story of the prophet, Elijah—which gave us the phrase “a still, small voice”—also points out that the Lord was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. In a theology that generally purports that “everything is holy now,” how do we understand the absence of a holy presence.

We are called, as a country, to confront the truth (and the lies) contained in the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. For instance: the narratives that surround a favorite holiday to many: Thanksgiving. During this Native American History month, let's find out what there is to be learned about these stories of "the founders."

Election day has come and gone and now...well...what?