Introduction
Part of Faithful Journeys
Surely they hitched their wagon to a star – and though it fell to Earth, it left a pathway so bright that it still points the way to perfection. – Susan Thwang, on the Hopedale Community co-founded by Adin Ballou
In this session, participants explore the sixth Unitarian Universalist Principle, the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all. They hear about Adin Ballou, a Universalist Christian pacifist who helped establish the Hopedale Community, where members worked to create a new way of living based on the teachings of Jesus. Participants create peace pinwheels that represent their hopes for peace in our world. We add the signpost "Make Peace" to the Faithful Journeys Path.
Goals
This session will:
- Strengthen Unitarian Universalist identity as children learn about Adin Ballou and his work for peace
- Teach and reinforce our sixth Unitarian Universalist Principle, the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all
- Demonstrate how working for peace is a way to act faithfully based on our sixth Principle
- Encourage and empower participants as peacemakers
- Teach children how their actions can and do express their faith — their ideas of right and wrong, their values and their beliefs.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
- Learn about Unitarian Universalist history in working for peace through hearing a story about Adin Ballou
- Articulate their hopes and prayers for peace
- Explore strategies for making peace in situations in their own lives
- Learn, sing and share a few peace songs
- Identify ways they do or could act that reflect the signpost "Make Peace."