From Your Minister

Dear Ones,

In May we will be exploring the value of Pluralism. The proposed revisions to Article II describes the Pluralism in this way:

• Pluralism: We celebrate that we are all sacred beings diverse in culture, experience, and theology. We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We embrace our differences and commonalities with Love, curiosity, and respect.

Pluralism also shows up in a lot of other places in the proposed Article II revisions, which Unitarian Universalists from around the country will be voting on adopting in June. Our values of Justice and Equity discuss creating inclusive communities and using inclusive democratic processes. Our liberal religious movement “draws from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love.” From this we create diverse congregations that covenant to support and assist one another in our ministries. And the proposed Inspirations say that:

• As Unitarian Universalists, we use, and are inspired by, sacred and secular understandings that help us to live into our values. We respect the histories, contexts and cultures in which they were created and are currently practiced. These sources ground us and sustain us in ordinary, difficult, and joyous times. Grateful for the religious ancestries we inherit and the diversity which enriches our faith, we are called to ever deepen and expand our wisdom.

While these statements resonate for us as Unitarian Universalists, what does Pluralism mean in our lives and our congregations? How does Pluralism show up, and how do we show up to affirm it, when we are having discussions about our theological diversity? Or when we are working on LGBTQIA+ issues, especially trans issues, and how creating safer spaces changes our community? When we are working on racial justice and how to counter pernicious culture and laws, as well as inertia? Or when we work on countering ableism and ageism, and on creating a congregation that is more accepting and affirming of diverse ways of being – and being together?

Our value of Pluralism is constantly challenging us. It’s constantly asking us to lean in, to listen, to learn, to change, to love more fully, more bravely, more openly, more fiercely. And so, where will our exploration of Pluralism take you this month? Where will it take us? I hope you’ll lean into this conversation and share what it means to you with others within and beyond this congregation.

Love and Blessings,

Rev. Diana

(P.S.: I’m updating the minister’s bookshelf in the UUS library with some books to help us explore Pluralism.)