My Friends,

You were no doubt horrified by the events that unfolded yesterday in Washington, D.C.  I imagine that as you witnessed the violence and the chaos in our nation’s capital, that you may have experienced feelings of anger, fear, or rage, to name a few. The First Principle of the Unitarian Universalist Association states that we affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. This is not a Pollyanna view of the world. We understand that there is evil in the world. We understand that ignorance, fanaticism and tyranny are the enemies of freedom, and they take place whenever any person or group says: “What I want is more important than what you want.” Or even worse, “I matter more than you matter.”

Every one of our Seven Principles hang from our belief that all individuals demand respect. How else could we call for justice for those oppressed by systemic racism, sexism or economic status? We believe in the use of the democratic process because it is a commitment to the value of each person. In the words of Theodore Parker, “Democracy means not ‘I am as good as you are,’ but ‘You are as good as I am.’”

In this time of uncertainty, each of us must play a role to repair our frayed democracy by remembering that ours is a faith rooted in love and justice. The conflicted soul of America was on display yesterday, and it was ugly. Yet the way to bring about healing is not to turn away, but to turn towards it, recognizing our own responsibilities that we have to each other. Each of us is called to deepen our commitment by living our religious values in the world.

I close with words from the Rev. Wayne Arnason “Take courage friends, the way is often hard, the path is never clear and the stakes are very high. Take courage. For deep down, there is another truth: you are not alone.”

Your in Faith,

Hank