Braver/Wiser: A Weekly Message of Courage and Compassion

Braver/Wiser

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

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!

Displaying 1 - 10 of 223.

  • On a rocky ledge overlooking the wildnerness, a Black man wearing a backpack holds a map.
    Dear Creative Life Force, the infinite healing power of creativity is the best gift you've given to us.
    by Erica Shadowsong |
  • A person holds their palm to the camera, obscuring their face. Their palm is painted with streaks of bright paint in yellows, reds, and blues.
    My God lives in the margins and witnesses to the broken-hearted.
    by Jami A. Yandle |
  • Six adults sitting in a circle comfort and listen to a seventh person, who appears distressed.
    Somehow, the things that are too much to bear alone are bearable together.
    by Elizabeth Stevens |
  • A hand with red nail polish cups a compass, above the mossy floor of a forest, and the other hand points to moss or another object on the ground.
    My inner compass reminds me of the power we’ve been given to create a new future.
    by Mariela Pérez-Simons |
  • Two hands, of dark skin color, reach to each other. Each hand holds a jigsaw puzzle piece with half of a red heart on it, suggesting that the two pieces fit together perfectly.
    I learned that love and support can be expressed in many different ways by different people.
    by Ndidi Achebe |
  • Hanging underneath an outdoor surface is a new green chrysalis, a clear one that’s about ready to emerge, and a butterfly that’s already come out.
    Emergence, becoming, is inherent in each of us.
    by Kimberlee Anne Tomczak Carlson |
  • A white nationalist, wearing body armor with a white nationalist symbol, stands in front of a line of religious leaders, some wearing Side with Love garb, at the Charlottesville Unite the Right Rally (August 12, 2017).
    Do we who are UUs really believe in the values of our faith enough to enact to them in bold, clear, and unequivocal ways?
    by Takiyah Nur Amin |
  • An outstretched hand, palm towards camera, with a rainbow of light cast across it.
    I miss the days before ministry when I wore glittery skirts and gaudy sarongs and fairy wings, and covered myself in glitter for Pride.
    by David Kohlmeier |
  • A neon pink triangle and "Silence = Death" in the glass wall of the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC.
    Help me live in gratitude for the LGBTQ+ ancestors who paved this road we walk and roll on.
    by Li Kynvi |
  • Cropped shot of a woman relaxing in a chair with a book and a cup of tea
    I feel sad to lose a spiritual practice that I can now recognize, honor, and appreciate.
    by Rayla D. Mattson |

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