I attend as many regional, national and local gatherings of our faith as I can in order to interact with our best artists, lay leaders and ministers. This is where I fill my cup of inspiration, learn from my colleagues and bring back the best ideas to the congregations I serve.
I was inspired by a talk by Glen Thomas Rideout, the brilliant UU Music Director in Ann Arbor, who said, “UU services do not inspire me like the faith of my upbringing. But I keep showing up for the promise of what this faith claims it is seeking to create. I come for what this faith might become for my children.”
We strive to be a radically inclusive faith, but we are not there yet. I am encouraged by the efforts over the past years to de-center the perspectives of the historically privileged and make room for voices that have for too long been missing from our conversations. As a human that embodies all of the markers of privilege in our society, I am especially cognizant of the risk that my ideas may win the day not by merit, but by default.
I see the places in this world where this dynamic is leading us collectively in the wrong direction. I see hope in the lessons available from those that have learned to survive on the margins, because as our society continues to consume beyond our planets capacity, the margins are quickly becoming all this is left.
The path to collective salvation is already known…if only we can all learn to listen.
