Unitarian Universalists are called to respond to the world by feeling its sorrows, as well as its joys.  At times, they are heartbroken about some conditions in our country and the world, but they never despair.

They feel grateful for their extraordinary legacy of independence. They know that they are blessed with the gift of freedom to believe or to doubt, and with the gift of reason to consider what they know of life and to compare it to the timeless wisdom from other cultures.

They value receiving from their forebears many powerful examples of courage in the service of humanity and of love that encompasses all life.

These are their treasures–but they know that none of them are simply theirs to hold.  A UU’s role is to enrich their blessings by giving them away, again and again.

They do this best when they keep in mind what their Fellowship is, and is not.  It’s not a place to hide, nor to shelter from the world.  It’s not a place to pretend that their own or others’ lives are not complex, confusing, and even depressing at times.

Their fellowship is, instead, a place where they stand beside one another, look the world in the eye, attempt to see it clearly, and share their determination to face and deal with what they see pro-actively, with courage and, yes, with joy!

[SUUF Member Paul Friedman continues to provide weekly articles for publication in the Red Rock News. This article – or a variation thereof – appeared in the Sept 23, 2022 issue]