In this section of the Guidebook your team is invited to do a deeper dive into the ministry of inclusion as we share our story at Starr King UU Church, including some theological reflection, frameworks, and tips.
Zoom inclusion has intrinsic value to the church, bringing our zoomies solidly inside our circle of love and strengthening connections for all participants. Zoom inclusion also has value as a laboratory, a space in which to learn about oppression without the emotional weight of historical oppressions. We don’t have a lot of cultural programming about it. We’re still learning how to do it. We’re still flexible. It’s pretty small potatoes compared to any of the major oppressions. And at the same time, it has so many parallels to them that if we can master this one, we’ll be better prepared to tackle them. Here are some of the facets of our journey that could apply to other contexts as well.
Lessons from Zoom Inclusion for Other Inclusion Initiatives
We tell this story from the point of view of people in the dominant group (Roomies, in the case of Zoom Inclusion), since we were the ones most in control and therefore most able to make changes.
These are things we Roomies discovered, realized, learned, or undertook on our zoom inclusion mission.
The Awakening
We realized there were important things we had to learn about love and inclusion; how messages of inclusion or exclusion can be transmitted in ways we’re not even aware of. Tiffany Jana and Michael Baran call them subtle acts of exclusion but they can also be subtle acts of inclusion. Each time a Roomie speaks without a microphone, for instance, it sends a message to the Zoomies that says “We don’t care if you can hear or not. You’re not important to us. Your experience doesn’t matter.” But if a Roomie interrupts the speaker, and asks them to wait for a mic, and then to start over, that sends the opposite message, that Zoomies do matter.
We realized we were hurting people we love, and the church, driving people away, completely unintentionally, with these subtle acts of exclusion. We also realized there were many things we could do, some of them quite simple, that would have the opposite effect.
We realized we had to form relationships, partnerships with the people most impacted, to decide how to move forward. (“Nothing about us without us.”)
The Assessment
Why do it? Why commit to this practice of inclusion? Do we care enough to make the effort?
These are important questions, vital ones. It’s going to take some effort, some inconvenience, probably some money and some discomfort. It’s a long term commitment. We’ll have to change our attitudes, our culture, and our institutions to make it stick. Are we up to it?
We decided that we are, because:
The cost of not doing it is high. We’re potentially losing members, all of whom are valuable, and that would weaken our community. It also makes us realize we’re not living our values of loving inclusion. We don’t want to send messages of exclusion! Quite the opposite. We want to send messages of love and care, inclusion and respect. We want to be a loving community, and that means acting in loving ways. Love is as love does. It’s not just a feeling. In fact, it doesn’t have to be a feeling at all. The proof of love is in the acts. These people matter to us! We want them to feel that they’re very solidly inside our circle of love.
The costs of doing it are manageable. We’re willing to make the effort because we care about the people. We’re willing to be inconvenienced. It’s really not that big a deal. Getting some more equipment is a one time project. Making some changes in the worship flow. Get buy-in.
The Process
Individual changes
Cultural changes
Institutional changes
The Rewards
Seeing people we love feel loved.
Feeling more connected ourselves.
Strengthening and enlivening our community.
Living our values better, being more inclusive, especially of the most vulnerable among us.
