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    Engaging our UU values in Community

    Our Unitarian Universalist Principles and values give us firm faith grounding to be productively engaged in civic life for the good of all. When we respect the inherent worth and dignity of every person, participate in the democratic process, and work towards peace and harmony in both our private lives and the public sphere, we can make a difference in the life of the communities where we live, work, or belong.

    Of course, there are challenges to face before reaping the rewards! How do we best channel our enthusiasm and vision? How or where to best share our knowledge and skills, or learn new ones? Where and how can we have the most impact or influence?

    Sometimes staying informed of the issues at hand can be the challenge, given the realities of information overload and competing demands for our time and attention. Sometimes being well-informed of the various issues and injustices needing just solutions is the challenge. Trying to choose which of the multiple needs and urgencies to attend to and address can be overwhelming and lead to paralysis. What's a person to do?

    I notice that when I experience this, whether the setting is congregational life, the community where I live, or a special interest group in which I'm involved, I find it helpful to remember to follow my "calling" -- you have one, too, whether you use that word or another. What is it that calls to you or attracts your attention? What interests make you come alive and feed you? These are the places that seed the possibilities for your greatest impact.

    Not to worry -- you don't have to solve everything! Just as on any team or in any ensemble, others are there with you, playing their positions. I'll meet you there. Together, collectively, progress advances.

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    Here are some options on my radar for bringing your UU values into the public sphere:

    Questions for your State Senator? Coffee & Conversation with Senator Pete Harckham
    Saturday, February 8, 3-4 pm, John C. Hart Memorial Library, 1130 East Main Street, Shrub Oak

    Inaugural meeting: Sustainable Putnam, a new community organization envisioning an environmentally sustainable, socially just, and economically responsible Putnam County.
    Agenda includes development of a mission statement and selection of initial projects.
    Saturday, February 8, 12:30-2:30 pm, Mahopac Public Library, 3rd Floor Meeting Room

    SAVE THE DATE! 2020 Westchester Social Justice Forum: Building the Movement for Social and Ecological Justice
    Sunday, March 29, Noon-6 pm (Opening plenary at 1 pm)
    Eastview Middle school, 350 Main Street, White Plains, NY
    General Admission $20, discounts available
    Advance registration required, https://www.westchestersocialforum.org/register
    Opening plenary with Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez, the Peace Poets and Soul Fire Farm, workshops on organizing for social and ecological justice, and a culminating celebration.

    With blessings for the journey,
    Rev. Cindy
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    Bending the Arc

    “I do not pretend to understand the moral universe.
    The arc is a long one. My eye reaches but little ways.
    I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by experience of sight.
    I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends toward justice.”     
    - Theodore Parker, 19    th century abolitionist and Unitarian minister (1853 sermon)


    A radio interviewer asked Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “How long will it take to see social justice?” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. replied, “How long? Not long because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. How long? Not long.” 

    King’s often repeated paraphrase of Parker’s words has been just one part of the rich legacy he left us. The thing is, the arc of the moral universe doesn’t bend on its own -- it is up to us to do the labor of bending it, becoming justice-makers, peacekeepers, and siblings in the Beloved Community. 
    At times when it seems it is taking too, too long to see social justice, remember that taking our right and responsibility to vote and participate in the democratic process seriously is one way we can bend that arc and advance the cause of justice. 

    That’s why I am particularly encouraged by the roll-out of the UUA’s Organizing Strategy Team’s latest broad efforts: the UU the Vote campaign. Its hashtags convey the gist of its purpose: #VoteLove and #DefeatHate.

    The focus is on activating UUs to mobilize voters, counter voter suppression, and to engage in spiritually grounded, values-based issue conversations with voters in their communities. The National Team offers resources, tools, and support for congregational teams eager to do this work. To learn more, visit their website: https://www.uua.org/justice/vote2020

    Please contact me if you are interested in helping our congregation become involved.

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    Giving, Cheerfully

    ​“We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation;
     for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.”
    attributed to Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the Roman Stoic philosopher

    Everywhere I turn, there’s an expectation or another message to “Give!” – holiday gifts for family and friends, “Giving Tuesday” appeals for charitable donations, and all those admonitions to give self-care to ourselves first so we can be present to others! Now my friends and colleagues are posting invitations on social media to give “Random Acts of Kindness” throughout the month. No wonder that quote caught my eye!

    Seneca, who enjoyed a privileged upbringing, thought deeply and wrote about morality and ethics. He believed wealth should be used properly to benefit others and encouraged finding contentment not from the relentless pursuit of wealth, but from thrift. (Presumably, his audience already had a certain level of financial stability…) 

    In whatever ways we experience wealth or privilege in our own lives, we can choose to use the gifts we have - material, practical, or in spirit - to benefit others. Being generous is more than the moral or right thing to do in a world of economic inequity; it affirms the power of mutual care we experience in community and also feels good. What has been your experience of generosity? 

    These weeks, I encourage you to give cheerfully, quickly and without hesitation…  

    …. The mittens, gloves, hat, or scarf that are the unexpected staples to our neighbors coming to the food pantry.
    …. The toy or game that’s new to a child nearby, or maybe even something they’ve always wished for. 
    …. The financial support that is needed by grass-roots organizations far away doing important work. 

    May the thrift you practice in order to provide unexpected gifts to others bring you contentment.
    And, may you know the pleasures of giving and receiving Random Acts of Kindness in your every day.

    With blessings for the journey,
    Rev. Cindy