Every Sunday, when I say that we are here to remind ourselves and each other that every person is worthy of love and that we are all in this life together, I’m also reminding myself. Universalism – our theology behind these declarations – turns out to be a remarkably difficult thing to remember while also trying to live in this world.
When I say this I know that maybe it’ll bring up some of the more extreme examples. And of course I mean to include them too. But often, it’s in the everyday challenges—like rushing through town at 5:45 pm to make it somewhere by 6, or sitting through another long meeting where nothing seems to change, or dealing with someone who has hurt someone I love—that I find it hardest to remember that everyone is truly worthy of love.
In all of these cases, and in so many regular, everyday ways, Universalism takes a serious backseat to other things like, irritation, indignation, self-protection, and loyalty to a few specific people rather than a commitment to a bigger whole.
And it’s no wonder. We live in a world that constantly feeds us outrage, as if division is our only hope for survival.
And yet every Sunday when I look out at all of you, and we say those words “We gather together to remind ourselves that every single person is worthy of love, and that we are all in this life together,” I know that this is what our world actually needs. We need to remember, and we need to live from this understanding, especially in the midst of all this outrage.
From August 18th through the middle of September, we invite you to join us in a series grounded in our good news of Universalism, boldly titled, What Our World Needs Now. This series doesn’t stop with reminders. It will help us wrestle with the complexities of living these truths in real life. Together, we’ll build our muscles of joyful resilience and collective courage so that when life gets irritating, disappointing, or even devastating, we can turn to the real life-saving tools that help us widen the circle and love more and more of the world.
Let’s keep remembering together. See you on Sundays at 9 (in person or on zoom) or 11 (in person or on the website).
With love,
Rev. Gretchen