Rev. Rod Richards gives a talk about the meaning of the upcoming bridging ceremony for three youths at the Pacific SW Service Area Assembly.

To resist is to tense up, harden our resolve, strain against the forces we reject. How do we maintain that over time? How do we avoid exhaustion? Can resistance also provide a soft place for our spirits to land? Can it provide restoration?

From Beloved by Toni Morrison:

Then she did the magic: lifted Sethe’s feet and legs and massaged them until she cried salt tears. “It’s gonna hurt now,” said Amy.

“Anything dead coming back to life hurts.”

A truth for all times, thought Denver

It’s a little hard to welcome our monthly theme–The Path of Resistance–when many of us are used to searching out the path of least resistance.

Humility is not mentioned explicitly in the eight principles of Unitarian Universalism. Yet, humility is central to many faith traditions in which we are grounded, as well as the faith traditions some of us continue to practice in addition to Unitarian Universalism. Cultural humility, in particular, is essential to our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive community. But it asks us to be vulnerable, and to apologize often and sincerely. So, how can practicing cultural humility also be powerful? Lata addresses this question, drawing from her own experiences as a Hindu-Unitarian Universalist.

As we have come together this weekend to dream, plan, and engage with our vision(s) for the current and future vitality of our congregation, there is an understandable urge to “get it right.” What does that mean? How does it relate to engaging our mission?

Part of my resistance to becoming part of a group, gathering, or community is that it can make me feel…yes, vulnerable. Join with us in celebrating the people who have become members of this community in the past two years as we welcome them into our mission of deepening connections.

There is a surprisingly powerful metaphor in Herman Melville’s whale of a novel, Moby Dick, which has something to say about vulnerability, interdependence, and community.

The Golden Rule – love thy neighbor as thyself – appears in some form in just about every religion. Jesus took it a step farther and said we should love our enemies, which our culture particularly struggles with in these fractious times. So maybe our best bet is to start with our neighbors.

Ok, it’s the anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birthday, but what does the theory of evolution have to do with love?