Prayer for Charlottesville

Holy one of Justice, Protector of the oppressed, wielder of righteousness,

Our hearts are torn by the violence and hatred in Charlottesville, the latest surfacing of the white supremacist culture that undergirds our country. We cry for those who were killed. We pray for healing for those who were injured physically, mentally and spiritually by this violence. We ask, when will this end?

All we have to hold on to is faith. Faith in the idea that good is stronger than evil, that love is stronger than hate, faith that something unknowable in the world is moving us toward justice. But in this moment, our faith is wavering. We are tired of waiting for justice. We are tired of waiting for peace.

It is time for things to change. We must name that white people can do terrorist acts in the name of whiteness. We must not settle with language like “Alt-right” but call it as it is: white supremacist nazi fascism. We must not accept things as they are, but work for justice and peace.

May we rise up and stop this madness. May we call our leaders to account for explicitly and implicitly condoning white supremacy. May we stand on the shoulders of our justice warrior ancestors and take on their mantles. And may we feel your holy blessing to carry on this battle.

Blessed Be, Amen.

The Body of Justice

By Alisha jaison.c (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

In order for us to move, to breathe, to live

Our bodies rely on millions of cells

Working within different systems.

Justice work is like our bodies.

It requires many people

Working in different systems

to make a change in the world.

If our cells fight each other, we become ill.

So, too, with justice.

May we find our part in this work.

Whether public or supporting

Legal or legislative

And support one another

So that we can be sure that justice lives in this world.

Reflection for February 24, 2017

Where there is fear, may we find love

Where there is hate, may we find connection

Where there is despair, may we find hope

In these times of uncertainty,

In these times of struggle and strife

May we find our grounding in the holiness of life

May we step out into our deepest callings

And respond to the world’s great need.

Lament for a Broken World

Holy One of Justice, World-Shaker, Righteous Fire, known by names spoken and unspoken.

I call on you today in the midst of pain and sorrow. I cannot bear to see another black and brown body destroyed and discarded because of oppression-fueled fear. I cannot bear to see another murderer set free because of the systemic racism embedded in our legal system. I am tired of shaking in fear every time I see a police car, wondering if they might find something to fear in my body, and make me the next viral video on social media.

And yet, I believe that there is something calling for change in this world. I believe that Black Lives Matter is more than a movement but the sacred catalytic force of human evolution. And this evolution is the only way we will survive as a species, or we will implode.

We. Must. Change. We must change our perceptions, change our systems, change our ways of life, so that all is grounded in the inherent worth and dignity of EVERY being, that we live as if we all were images of God, of Love, of Good. No longer can we let oppressions define, divide, and destroy us.

I am filled with hope that this prayer will be heard. That change WILL happen. Because the consequences are too dire if they don’t. May the holy power of justice use me as needed to be a part of the struggle. May the vision of a new world live and thrive in all of our imaginations, so that we can make it a reality.

Blessed Be

Re-Grounding our UU Justice Work

Social justice is deeply integrated into my faith development. Yet this is often a struggle for me. I often find justice work in Unitarian Universalism to be grounded in the idea that we are a white denomination. But that does not acknowledge the people of color who are in our midst. People of color who are integral parts of our faith, dedicated members and leaders who are shaping our future. People of color who may be directly affected by the issues we are fighting against. So I think we need to change our language to say that we are a majority white denomination.

We cannot do social justice from only a white cultural perspective. This notion denies the very diversity that we are trying to nurture in our faith. We are not acknowledging the diverse experience and connections from within our faith community. And we are leaving people excluded, ignored, and uncared for in the midst of this work. This is a question of ministry for me. How are we dealing pastorally to those people of color for whom Eric Garner and Michael Brown were not people to empathize with, but reminders of siblings, children, cousins or self? How do we minister to those for whom immigration reform affects family, not images on TV? As a faith, we need to develop our justice work so that it is inclusive, not exclusive. Justice work that recognizes that the people we are fighting for are part of us.

And we can do this. When we operate from a majority white standpoint instead of an only white standpoint, there  is room for people like me in this work. I have found ways to make my voice heard, to claim a role in justice work. But I worry for those who do not have the support, and the accountable connections to find their place in UU justice work. I still have moments where I feel I need to choose whether I am serving as a person of color, or as a Unitarian Universalist. They should not be mutually exclusive.

And it does not have to be. I think there is room for me to live out my UU faith as a person of color. But it does require a change in how we think of ourselves. Simply changing our frame of reference to a majority white denomination, will be good start. Or majority white, middle class denomination, to acknowledge our class diversity as well. We can do this. And we must do this if we are to live into the diverse beloved community that we talk so much about.

The Power of Congress

I have been wondering what really bothers me about the latest Congressional standoff. I peeled back my frustration around their resistance to allowing people access to healthcare. I pushed my way through my disgust with their entitlement centered understanding of “compromise.” I kept digging, and digging and I think I finally found it. It’s that they are taking a stand for what they believe in (which I would normally applaud) by sacrificing others. If the government shutdown would Congress’ own salary at risk, I would think differently. But their salary is defined by law. So in effect, The House is saying, “We are willing to hurt the American people in order to get what we want.” This is an outrage, and shows how congress has moved from representing the people to standing apart from the people. Our democracy is crumbling in the face of ideology, elitism and greed. 

I want a congress whose main interest is in the people they serve, not corporations or personal financial interests. I want a congress that believes in collaboration, not compromise, recognizing that everyone might not get what they want, but they have worked to make things better for the American people. I want a congress whose loyalty is not bound to a particular party, but to the people they serve.

Sometimes I wonder if the congressional institution has become so flawed and outdated that we need an overhaul of the whole thing. What would a people-centered, justice-oriented government look like? That would be something worth exploring.

Water and Class

I have a confession to make.

I don't like the Unitarian Universalist Water Communion.

I have not always felt this way, but the more I participate in it, the less I like it.

For those who may not be familiar with the ritual, during the service, members bring forward water from a place special to them, or from a location(s) visited over the summer. Each person pours the water in a common vessel, and shares why it is special to them. Often this water is boiled and used for child dedications throughout the year.

Now, I like the image of combining our waters in a common pot and having it be used in the ritual life of the church. It is a powerful metaphor for how we come from may places, theologies and identities and become one body in worship. What I don't like is the sharing.

It is hard for me to listen to people tell of their journeys to other countries, states and cities, without thinking of the class bias behind this sharing. What effect does this litany of places have on those who are not able to travel? What assumptions do we make by asking people to bring water from places they have traveled over the summer? How are we being exclusive in a ritual about inclusion?

I think the ritual can be very powerful without speaking the location of the waters, especially if presented with the right context. It could be done in silence, or with people writing the locations on paper or post-its which can be posted for people to choose to see later. Or if speaking is important, people can pour in a blessing for the new church year, or what they have to offer to the church community.

As I look back at previous times I participated in the Water Communion, I realize that I more enjoyed the sharing of where I had been, then the moved by joining of waters. And when I did not go anywhere interesting, I was not moved to participate in the ritual.

In my previous parish ministries, I wish that I had been aware enough to rethink the ceremonies I led. I'd love to hear how others have engaged the inherent classism in the Water Communion.