Dear Beloveds,
A belated thank you for your end-of-year staff gift. It was very much appreciated.
There are so many reasons why Martin Luther King’s words resonate so forcefully so many years after his death, aside from the monumental achievement that he was a part of. When we think of the language of justice and equity, we often think of the tradition that King preached from – that of the Black Christian tradition, and its stirring words. Steeped in the language of the Bible, King was able to lead from a long tradition of prophecy. Dr. Christopher Morse, author of Not Every Spirit, taught me to understand that prophets bear God’s pain – an image that has stuck with me.
There are very many metaphors and understandings of Justice and Equity besides those contained in the Christian tradition. We are a pluralistic tradition. While the Unitarian and Universalist churches in the US originated in Protestant traditions, we have evolved past the need to ground all of our language in the language of Christianity. Justice and Equity, as a core value of Unitarian Universalism, is something that each of us participates in, no matter our theological orientation.
The influential 20th century Unitarian Universalist James Luther Adams speaks of the “prophethood of all believers,” a rendering of which you can find in our grey hymnal, #591. From this reading, I take the understanding that speaking up for justice and equity is a corporate responsibility – one that each of us bears in diverse ways. “Believing” for Adams is believing in being a servant, a seeker/pilgrim, on an adventure of spirit. That means for me that there is a place for everyone – whether that place is marching on the front lines, advocating new policies, or even making sandwiches for those who do the work and holding space for them to heal.
Who or what inspires you to pursue justice and equity in this world? What authors, speakers? What actions have you taken recently? Is there something you want to learn? I trust you can find a space for all of that in our community, in fellowship, learning, and maybe even debate.
I will be resuming our community coffee hour at Aldo’s in Greenport on Friday, February 16th – please come by for easy conversation. I will also be leading an evening Zoom session for check-in, meditation and reflection on the topic of Justice and Equity on February 22nd at 7pm.
My door is open if you wish to find time to talk to me about any concerns, issues or suggestions. Just email me at [email protected] or call the church office to make an appointment.
Regards,
Rev. Valerie Freseman