“Love says: “I am everything.” Wisdom says: “I am nothing.” Between the two, my life flows.” –Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am That; trans. Maurice Frydman.
Music for the journey: STLT #108 My Life Flows On In Endless Song (YouTube)
I write to you with some bittersweet news: I will be leaving my position with the Central East Region on August 1, 2025.
It has been a privilege to work with many of you over the last year and a half. I have learned much in this time with the Region and the UUA, about you who faithfully serve in our UU congregations, and about myself as I fit into a lineage of dedicated UU professionals serving within, among, and beyond our institutions. I’ve been honored to witness a faith that grows in unexpected places, which flourishes in difficult terrain, and each day inspires us to seed more love and justice across our relationships.
Just as our Unitarian Universalist values center Love, so come moments on our journeys where we must choose – sometimes unexpectedly – to follow Love to unforeseen places, to flow with the currents of our lives. I’ve seen UU leaders learn this again, and again, recognizing a moment is right to take a risk, to break a harmful pattern, to heal an old wound, and sometimes even to release what was once familiar to embrace the mystery of what may come next.
We are wading through troubled waters, and in times such as these, the risks of each moment sometimes reveal new truths about the possibilities of our lives. I’m at such a threshold in my life, diving into a new chapter – in a few weeks, I will be moving to the UK to join my fiancé, so we may love our way into a future family together. I don’t know all of what comes next for me, but I do know that it has been a gift to share the journey with you for a while.
As I conclude this work over the coming days, my wish for you is this: be gentle with yourselves, and each other. In the face of egregious violence and indefensible callousness, may your heart beat tenderly, and strong, but never harden. May your spirit grow generous, and kind, and never diminish. When you find your cup empty and unable to pour, may you always find pathways back to our communal wellspring. May your life flow on in endless song.
Love & Solidarity,
Rev. Alia
The position for someone to replace Rev. Alia has been posted on the UUA website. While we are in transition, the CER team is committed to ensuring that Rev. Alia’s congregations have the support they need. Each affected congregation’s leadership has received an email about our transition plan. If you have questions please either complete our Partnership Form or send an email to cer@uua.org. We wish Rev. Alia all the best in their new adventures.
The CER Staff,
Rev. Sana Saeed, Lenore Bajare-Dukes, Cassandra Montenegro and Beth Casebolt.