Reaching Out by Calling In

By Jeremie Bateman

30DoL_Day_28_Honest_Brokers

30DoL_Day_28_Honest_Brokers

Day 28: Making the Middle Way Together

I was a relatively new employee at the UUA when the Standing on the Side of Love campaign was launched. Over the last 5+ years, I've had the opportunity to see the it grow and change and reach out in ways I don't think people could have imagined. When watching news coverage of rallies and events, I sometimes play "spot the yellow shirt." Try it some time - it happens more often than you might think. On this fifth annual Standing on the Side of Love Day, I've been taking some time to reflect on what I've seen and today's post over at the SSL blog brought something to mind.

In my time at the Unitarian Universalist Association, I have had the extreme privilege of watching UU youth live their values in their interactions with one another. In the small actions that make it possible for others to join the community, like leaving an open space in a circle, and in the large, hard rebuilding of community after a break in covenant, I have seen time and time again youth living their values. I was reminded of this when thinking of the idea of "calling in." I think, perhaps more than others, UU youth engage in a process like this. I have watched deep conversations, small and large, to educate and call back to community, rather than call out and distance. Does it happen all the time? No. But I think the commitment to covenant, to growth, and to community when UU youth gather is a strong grounding for the practice of "calling in." It is that sort of grounding I wish for all our communities.

Visit Day 28 of the 30 Days of Love Campaign on Standing on the Side of Love to learn more about the practice of "Calling In".