"We gather and come together in sadness, in anger, in sorrow, in dismay and disbelief..."
The Reverend Lyn Oglesby, Ph.D.
First Unitarian Church of Baltimore
July 30, 2008
We gather and come together in sadness, in anger, in sorrow, in dismay and disbelief... Family, friends, guests, strangers no more, united in common compassion and grief... Our hearts go out to the souls of the murdered victims, to the injured both physically and emotionally, to the congregation of the TVA UU Church.
The moment I heard a bit of the news, and that the attacked church had a reputation for including gays and lesbians, I knew, instantly, that it was one of ours. For the Unitarian Universalists have historically and are currently on the cutting edge of inclusion, based on our first principle, “Respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person.”
In the sixteenth century, King John Sigismund of Transylvania decreed that no person would be punished for his or her religious beliefs. During the struggle for civil rights, one of our ministers was murdered in Mississippi, and over 400 of our ministers responded to Dr. Martin Luther King’s call to the clergy, and went to Selma. And while no one is certain, one of our ministers first conducted a service of commitment and union for a same-sex couple in 1967. Respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person. This means that we turn no one away; we reject no one because of race, ethnicity, individual religious belief, gender or sexual preference, income, or background. We offer a sanctuary for those who need help as well as those who can fend for themselves. We offer hope to the rejected, solace to the unloved, dignity to the forlorn. In this holy sanctuary, and all over the world, the Unitarian Universalist movement continuously fosters tolerance for differences, encouragement for the curious, and the free and responsible search for truth and meaning.
For some, these approaches to life can be difficult to understand and practice. Indeed, for those who are alone, unemployed, who are not economically self-sufficient, and who feel alienated from and by society, our sanctuaries have become targets of violence based on fear. Our people may become targets of revile by those whose religious beliefs are different. Our congregations may become targets of revenge that substitutes for internal feelings of alienation, hopelessness, powerlessness.
And that is why is it so important for us to remember to reach out of our own comfort zones to embrace those who are different, who are in despair, who are lonely, who need to learn skills to survive in a competitive world.
We mourn, deeply grieve, for those who have been victimized by such violence that is driven by fear and loneliness. And in spite of our indignation and anger, we know that to surmount future violence, we must move our own hearts and minds beyond our anger and hurt. We must seek out the stranger, to offer a hand. We must seek out the lonely, and involve them in our communities of love and work. We must reach out to the shy and the silent, to reassure them that they are welcome. We, who are able, must, as Jesus would do, reach out our hearts and hands to those who are crippled, sick, poor, and rejected by society.
Who knows whether a friendly hand or smile or conversation might have prevented the tragedy in Knoxville, or the countless other attacks on churches and synagogues over the years.
But we do know that if we love enough, if we love intentionally, if we reach out every day, that our love can overcome hate, particularly hate that is based on fear and alienation.
And that is what I ask of myself, and ask of each of you today. We can begin right now. We can start to transform lives, beginning with our own, by making a point to reach out to strangers and those who seem to be unloved. For they need our love as much as we need to give them ours. Let us then begin, at home, at work, in the community and in our religious organizations, to put more love into our actions, in our thoughts, words and deeds. I ask that we all, and I begin with myself, do this in remembrance and honor for those martyrs and victims of violence born by hatred and anxiety.
This is our call. To restore love and peace in every place...every place. Peace in every place. Pat your dog. Hug a child. Offer a ride. Smile at a stranger. Lend a hand. Invite a new person into your life, starting today. You may be saving a life, and you will certainly be transforming the world.
Are you willing to love more?
Are you willing?
Then let it begin right now.
Amen
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Last updated on Thursday, June 3, 2010.
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