I have had a busy few weeks of being back at work and re-entering the busy world of Extension work. My sabbatical time is over and I have cherished it. The more distance I get the more I realize what a privilege and profound experience it was for me personally.
During my last week of sabbatical I was privileged to attend General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association in Portland Oregon. Mike and I represented our congregation as voting delegates. I have never experienced democracy on such a large scale and I was really fascinated by the process and how messy real democracy can be. Hearing all voices is not easy when there are so many different stories. My GA experience focused on social justice, honoring differences and diversity, appreciating the value of shared worship and connecting with friends from far and wide. A retired colleague from University of Nevada in Reno and I realized at a joint meeting some time ago that we shared our faith tradition. Jackie was in Portland and sought me out. We had lunch together and shared the joy of work and personal connections. We stayed with our friends Debbie and Rick in their Raleigh Hills retreat and were glad to get away each day from the crowds. As an educator I am connected to social justice and equal access to opportunities. This part of my work connects so well with the Unitarian and Universalist traditions of social justice and changing the world so everyone can experience dignity and freedom. Our denomination stands on the shoulders of great social reformers. This year the 50th anniversary of the march to Selma was celebrated. It was hard to miss the dignitaries who walked across the bridge to honor the people who suffered and lost their lives in the struggle for racial equality in the south. Two of the four people who died in March, 1965, were Unitarians. Reverend James J. Reeb and Viola Gregg Liuzzo were both there to witness and help the cause. Some 500 Unitarians were present in Selma in 1965 and the same number returned in March. Our churches in Baltimore, Missouri, South Carolina and in other places around the nation are working to right social injustice for oppressed people. Black Lives Matter was one of the themes that was prominent at GA. Our meeting came not a week after the shooting in Charleston and the consequent destruction of African American congregations in the south. It was pure synchronicity that Rev. Dr. Cornel West, renowned scholar, activist and theologian, delivered the prestigious Ware lecture.
Dr. West is an amazing speaker. I have admired his honest and prophetic voice for some time. He speaks truth to power in a way that is hard to ignore. Even those who do not agree with him, have to do so with a loud and sure voice. I include the link to the article and his entire lecture (worth listening to) for those who have time and interest.
Black Lives Matter is something that resonated with the entire audience in the wake of the inequities and violence that has been sparked by young black people being shot by police officers across our country and by the racial profiling that ended in the murders of the eight church leaders in Charleston. I have no issue with Black Lives Matter but I wonder what happens when we shift to All Lives Matter? Can we add brown and white and yellow and red and blue and green to our color palette? I am feeling overwhelmed by the debates on climate change and hearing the stories of our beautiful silver and red pacific salmon dying in the heated rivers and in fish hatcheries. The lovely and lowly pink salmon are thriving. Is that a sign of some sort? Is the life of our blue-green earth at risk with all the man-made climate issues? Can we include Gaia in the All Lives Matter statement? And all of our animal and plant friends and neighbors?
I am getting too philosophical and I am ready to post this and get on with my closing post. I will include a survey for those who have been reading.
I hope you are all surviving our hot summer.
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| My zinnias love the heat! |
Drew
