Braver/Wiser: Courage and Compassion for Life as It Is
Braver/Wiser
Braver/Wiser
Worship

Life is full of hard edges and complicated choices. Braver/Wiser gives you weekly message of courage and compassion for life as it is. Every Wednesday we deliver an original written reflection by a contemporary religious leader, and brief prayer, grounded in Unitarian Universalism. Join the Braver/Wiser community and sign up today!

 

  • The Muscle of Our Collective Spirit

    A series of doors in a dark room, with one door opening to allow in bright light as a blurred human figure moves through
    The Muscle of Our Collective Spirit
    I’m confident in our human ability to together muscle our way into renewing our world.
    By Aram Mitchell | 4/1/2020

  • At a Threshold

    In the medieval Turku Castle, Finland, an archway and cobblestones contain ghostly figures (thanks to a time-lapse photos)
    At a Threshold
    “Game” is no longer the proper metaphor to guide my thoughts and actions. We are—all of us—in liminal space, at a threshold confronting immediacy, shrouded in fog.
    By Rita Capezzi | 3/25/2020

  • The Ninth Obstacle

    A pair of muddy arms reaches up to push a muddy foot, as if helping someone climb a wall.
    The Ninth Obstacle
    Years ago, I did one of those mud run obstacle races. There were eight physical obstacles on the course, but my biggest learning was that we all had a ninth obstacle.
    By Laura Solomon | 3/18/2020

  • The Smallest Biggest Number

    Against a red background, two people stand facing one another, with a gap between them.
    The Smallest Biggest Number
    If two is the smallest number in ethics, it's also the smallest seed of certainty; the way not to get lost. Because the ultimate test, when the fear and grief finally give way to clarity, is knowing ourselves by how well we cared for one another.
    By Erika A. Hewitt | 3/11/2020

  • Two Sides of the Same Coin

    Seen from above, in light cast only by flames, a solitary person swings two "poi" fire weights on chains (sometimes called "fire juggling")
    Two Sides of the Same Coin
    We all have our foibles; pieces of ourselves that we both admire and occasionally revile. These gifts and struggles exist in tandem.
    By Alix Klingenberg | 3/4/2020

  • New Levels of Sacred

    A wicker bassinet, lined with bedding, with infant clothing draped on the edge.
    New Levels of Sacred
    Before I birthed my baby, he was a possibility, a kick against my insides. With that first cry, first breath, he became a person in the world.
    By Caitlin Cotter Coillberg | 2/26/2020

  • The Truth About Chocolate?

    A tray of chocolate desserts, and a hand holding a half-eaten dessert.
    The Truth About Chocolate?
    If we aren’t willing to ask the important, uncomfortable, and even scary questions, we won’t get to larger and deeper truths.
    By Katie Romano Griffin | 2/19/2020

  • Assisted Living Devices

    A silhouette of two people reaching out their hands to each other.
    Assisted Living Devices
    A lot of us feel like our lives should have come with instructions. Or maybe they did, but we lost the only copy a long time ago.
    By Elea Kemler | 2/12/2020

  • Amplified a Thousandfold

    A singer with a microphone, reaching with dramatic body language, with smoke and lights in the background.
    Amplified a Thousandfold
    We have so many opportunities to bless each other in this world, but they don’t always announce themselves as moments of profound transformation.
    By Lindasusan Ulrich | 2/5/2020

  • The Spark of Life

    A bouquet of wilted, faded roses.
    The Spark of Life
    If we don’t know where the spark of life comes from, can we know for sure where it goes?
    By David Kohlmeier | 1/29/2020

  • From Broken Parts, Whole

    A close-up of green strips of broken glass, as if petals of a flower.
    From Broken Parts, Whole
    Surround yourself with skillful teachers. Let them teach you, but don't let them do it for you. That learning is yours to do.
    By Karen G. Johnston | 1/22/2020

  • Unafraid

    A black man in profile, dimly lit, against a dark background.
    Unafraid
    When you’re the only black man in a sea of whiteness, purses still get clutched, and people still cross the street, and hellos still get lost in the void.
    By Adrian L. H. Graham | 1/15/2020

  • More Than a Sum

    Two Latinx women from Mujeres Unidas y Activas shout to a crowd using a bullhorn.
    More Than a Sum
    We are never numbers to be tallied for turnout. We are more than a sum. Together, we are the hope and courage.
    By Robin Tanner | 1/8/2020

  • Next Year's Words

    In the background, letters are piled on a Scrabble board. In the foreground, someone holds the "C" tile as the letters "R E A T E" fall towards the board.
    Next Year's Words
    One of my most treasured New Year’s traditions is coming up with a word for the year: a single word that I want to be the theme for my entire year. When I’m questioning what’s the right thing to do, I will look to my word of the year for guidance.
    By Tim Atkins | 1/1/2020

  • Messy, Wildly Imperfect Love

    On a church chancel, children dressed as sheep and cows kneel during a Christmas pageant
    Messy, Wildly Imperfect Love
    Every year, I tell the congregation not to worry about mistakes because there aren’t any; there is only us, telling an old story about love getting born into this aching world.
    By Elea Kemler | 12/18/2019

  • The Body of Love

    In a hospital corridor, a nurse in scrubs carries a cooler designated to hold donated organs.
    The Body of Love
    It was disruptive and strange to know that someone had died to bring this hope, and to wonder how the donor’s family mourned at the same time we rejoiced.
    By Elizabeth Bukey | 12/11/2019

  • Leveling Up

    In front of a decorated mantle (with stockings), a Santa Claus is seen from the side.
    Leveling Up
    With a single generous gesture from my older child, her sister's belief in Santa stayed intact that year.
    By Karen G. Johnston | 12/4/2019

  • Crisis and Opportunity

    A mother bear with three bear cubs, on a river bank.
    Crisis and Opportunity
    The crisis was an opportunity to learn to be fully me and love it, inner turmoil and all. I learned that strength comes from authenticity, never from perfection.
    By Tomo Hillbo | 11/27/2019

  • The Fierce Fist Pump

    Against a brilliant sunset, a person in silhouette appears to punch the sun.
    The Fierce Fist Pump
    I was made this way, in this body and this skin. Like all beings, I have an inherent good that cannot be eclipsed.
    By Katie Romano Griffin | 11/20/2019

  • Impact > Intention

    In the background, a desolate street. In the foreground, yellow "caution" tape wrapped around a pole.
    Impact > Intention
    Can we strive to have the grace to back away when our presence doesn’t feel like safety?
    By Misha Sanders | 11/13/2019

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