As Unitarian Universalists, we draw upon many sources for our spiritual and ethical sustenance. Among the teachings that lead us to live lives of justice and peace are those of the Jewish faith. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement begins the time set aside in the Jewish calendar for reconnecting ourselves to others, to the world, to the Divine. It is a time of reconciliation. This is the day in which we acknowledge the ways in which we have fallen short of being the people we want to be and take steps to once again bring ourselves into right relationship with one another and with our world. On Yom Kippur, we gather to acknowledge and accept the past, and to move forward into the future with uncertainty as to exactly what the future will bring, but with faith in ourselves, in our ability to change and grow, and in the readiness to forgive, to relent and to erase the bitterness from our hearts, giving way to love and acceptance of one another for who we are and what we each bring to the table of our collective feast.
Perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not, Sunday, September 27th was Yom Kippur. It was also the day that the members of All Souls began a process of discernment as to what problems we as a congregation are now and have been dealing with in the past. More importantly, the process we began that day will help us to determine the larger questions we face… not merely “Who is to blame for our current situation?” but to determine who are we as a congregation, where we want to go and how to get there. Why do we exist as a church? What is our purpose in being a church? What is our mission? Exactly what is our vision for the future of this congregation and how do we best arrive at our destination with ALL souls onboard?
As human beings, we are of course anxious for resolution and that will come, but as a congregation, it is far more important that we focus on what our commitments are and how much they mean to us… like our commitment to the principles that hold us together… commitment to respect the individual needs as they are defined within the larger concept of community… commitment to do our part in creating the world we want our descendants to inherit. This is not easy. While we are accustomed to and often want quick and easy answers to most questions, it is important that we realize the meaning of “process.” There is the connotation of “growth,” of “change,” of “becoming.” Only at the end of the process, can we expect to see the anticipated results. Many questions will be resolved only at the end of this period of crisis and challenge. Only then will All Souls be ready to move forward.
We often speak of the power of love to transform the world, but as we talk of transforming the world, we must never lose sight of the fact that we ourselves are also in the process of being transformed, both as individuals and as a congregation.
That is exactly what we have been and are now doing and it’s not always an easy or painless experience. We might even liken it to childbirth. After a period of development in the womb a child is born. It can be and usually is excruciatingly painful, it can even under some circumstances be fatal… but despite this, the new child arrives. The painful experience of giving birth itself is forgotten amid the joy of witnessing the new life among us. The birth pangs are a necessary part of the process.
Yes, we at All Souls are now finding ourselves just a little bit pregnant. We are quite possibly in the process of giving birth to a new All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church and it is decidedly uncomfortable… for all of us. It is also a time fraught with danger and peril. We must not forget that. During this period of discernment and renewal, we need to be quite careful of the prenatal care we give ourselves so as to ensure that both the church itself as well as the congregation that will arise from this process might be vital, healthy and strong. Let us not be overly anxious. Patience is a necessary virtue. We must of all things remain calm and not give in to the feelings of panic that may force us into hasty or ultimately self-defeating decisions. It is important that we allow the process of transformation to occur. At the end, we as a congregation will be transformed and renewed. That is necessary if we are to survive.
Unitarian Universalists have for a long time offered to the world the promise of hope; the promise of a world without hate; the promise of a world with equity and justice; the promise of a world at peace. We at All Souls now face not only crisis, but the opportunity for renewal, re-evaluation and redirection. This requires not only acknowledgment of what is wrong, but even more, the willingness to accept and nurture those things that allow us to move forward into a future that we can only dimly see right now. That requires letting go of our accumulated baggage of resentments and personal grievances in order to grow into the community we need to become. Above all, we need to forgive one another, for without love and forgiveness among ourselves, there is no hope. Indeed, as Bishop Desmond Tutu has said, “without forgiveness there is no future.” In the spirit of Yom Kippur on which we began this process, now, more than ever, let us challenge ourselves to stand on the side of love, offering anew the promise of hope to a world desperately in need of what we have to offer. It is my hope that we can do it; it is my faith in this congregation that tells me that we will do it. We must do it. Be involved.
Shalom
