"We Would Be One"

Our Unitarian Universalist Association President has spoken truly of our many hopes in this difficult time, above all the hope for safety for all those in harm’s way. He leaves no one out. War threatens everyone, from our soldiers and their families to the Iraqi people, and to all who are hurt by hatred and division anywhere. “There is only one destiny on this small blue planet,” he reminds us. We are all vulnerable. And we are all connected, by our humanity and our common home.

Yet in times of distress, we roil with emotions: anger, fear, grief, shock, remorse, we can easily lose touch with our fundamental values and our strongest hopes. Unhinged by dismay and anxiety, we only know to turn to each other.

But that is always a good place to start. Not just for us, who instinctively come to church at times of crisis and turmoil, but for all people, who do not want to be alone in times like these. Hope begins with community.

But community is more than a huddle of despairing people. Community is the way we find meaning, identify values, and articulate a vision. Community lifts up our best selves, individually and collectively, and shows us how to live up to them. For those of us in this church community, it is how we find hope and strength.

Today, as our country continues to wage war – a war which many of us have debated and protested – we gather to remember what gives us hope and strength. Whatever your individual opinion about this war and its geopolitical implications, what we all share is a genuine concern for human life and a compassion for the suffering of all people. We all want peace and safety not only for ourselves but for our small blue planet. A core value of our Unitarian Universalist tradition is the affirmation of community, not just the personal and local variety – families, friends, congregation – but global community as well. We have a vision – as the hymn we sang earlier describes it – of a time when “Earth shall be fair and all its people one.” We have faith in the power of global institutions to bring people together and to engage in dialogue and reciprocity.

This value is so central to our tradition that it is included in our Unitarian Universalist “Purposes and Principles.” These state that we “covenant to affirm and promote the goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all.” Many of us judge the actions of our own country against this rigorous ideal. This is why we were deeply disappointed about the failure of diplomacy and the abrogation of global consensus, as our own country proceeded inexorably towards war. Ours is not a political stance so much as a religious one: a conviction that our human bonds are universal and irrevocable, and cannot be overridden by the interests of one side or another.

A couple of weeks ago, one of our Board members, Greg Poirier, spoke movingly about the many divisions in our world. The one place, he said, where we do not make enemies of each other is in our church. Even when we disagree with each other on everything from the existence of God to the deficit in the budget, our disagreement does not make us enemies.

As members of this community, we agree to behave towards each other with good will, tolerance and respect. We put considerable effort into this behavior, for it is challenging, but the rewards and the growth that result from it are immeasurable. Its value is so ingrained in us that we yearn for a way to share it with the world. It has even inspired us to believe that world community is possible, and that peace, liberty, and justice for all are truly within human reach. As far as that may seem right now, our vision has never been more present. Though it fell short of stopping war, the entire world has engaged in a discussion about its justification and legitimacy. It may just be a glimmering, but people are alive to the notion that perhaps there is another way. At the service Friday night, we heard an interesting reflection by Thich Nhat Hanh, who wrote that the roots of war take hold when people take sides and blame each other. He added, “We cannot just blame one side or another. We have to transcend the tendency to take sides.”

That sounds very close to what Greg was saying. We have to learn not to make enemies of one another, whatever our differences. This is what makes not only our church community unique, but world community a possibility. I find hope in looking at the current situation in this way.

Another community-based value to give us hope is the power of grassroots democracy. Now you all know, if you’ve ever tried to do anything in this church, that it takes more than individual leadership. However well intended – or right – you might be, that’s not enough. It takes the enthusiasm and support of the congregation. The only leadership authority that really works, which we’ve all learned the hard way at one time or another, is the will of the people. We have yet to see whether such a truth will out on the national scene.

Another one of our Unitarian Universalist “Purposes and Principles” states that we “covenant to affirm and promote the use of the democratic process in our congregations and in society at large.” Democracy is a religious principle with us. We count on democracy for fairness and inclusive participation. It is how we generate power and momentum.

I spoke to a good friend the other day about what’s going on in the world. She said, “The only time I feel all right is when I’m at a demonstration.” Acknowledging that demonstrations have not changed the political course of our nation so far, she admitted that it just made her feel better to be among likeminded people. That reminded me of something author and commentator Arianna Huffington said when she spoke to us for our Ernest Pipes lecture this year. She told us that grassroots democracy has taken hold like never before. From internet advocacy to mass demonstrations to interfaith cooperation unprecedented in any other world crisis, people are using the power of community to express their will. Sooner or later, their will is what will prevail.

It always does. Think about the way it works here. Have faith in the will of the people. It will bring you hope.

Nourish hope in yourself. It is the care of your soul, over which only you have the power to make a difference. The world may not run just the way you’d like it to. In our lifetimes, we are witness to injustice and tragedy that leave us heartbroken and in pieces. It is up to each of us to determine what difference we can make in the cycle of violence and inhumanity that is part of our world.

In searching for words to reassure the children that there is always something we can do to make the world better, I thought of how faithfully they bring food each week for the Westside Food Bank. This simple yet absolutely concrete expression of care for others is a good example for all of us. Kindle hope by doing something.

Many of you seasoned activists know this truth intimately, but everyone learns it in different ways. And whatever our views about the causes or the remedies to the injustices of the world, we can all find ways to serve others. When our church helps us to find a way – or we work with other church members on a project together – we are demonstrating that we do not need to believe alike to serve alike. The world will get better anyway.

In these times, we need all the hope we can find. Stand up for your convictions. Acting with courage is a bracing experience, good for the character as well. If you’re in the minority, in America or in church, you’re in good company as long as you still like your own soul.

We heard earlier from our Unitarian Universalist leader Bill Sinkford that “we all stand together now, on fragile ground in this time of unrest. There is only one destiny on this small blue planet, and there are no other hands but ours. So let us, as one people, pray, finally, for the courage and the wisdom to find a path that leads both to peace and justice.” Wherever we stand, we are together. Let us go forward into the uncertain future with hope and the confidence we can take from the strength and the vision of our common faith.