My theology is grounded in the ways of nature. All is interconnected and interdependent.
Nothing in nature stands alone. We are all dependent on each other. Forgetting this reality is the source of much suffering in this world.
I consider religion to be a survival mechanism. As a Unitarian Universalist, I view our Sources as a library of collected wisdom, generously passed down from ancestors that found ways to survive the challenges of their day. I seek to translate the lessons they shared, from their perspective, into guidance that can help us live better today.
Buddhism informs a good bit of my approach to the navigation of daily life. I strive to stay grounded in the present moment, consistently practice observing my thoughts and feelings, and work to release attachments as a path to reduce suffering.
I entered Seminary a devout atheist. Humanism provided all of the answers I thought I needed to navigate the world. I used to find tranquility in the First Law of Thermodynamics- the idea that matter and energy are never created or destroyed, they only change form. This idea comforted me when struggling with the human awareness of mortality-the idea that although my current embodiment will end, I am connected to something larger that has always existed, exists now in a particular state, and will continue on forever in some different form. But the process of spiritual formation led me to experiences that no amount of science can help me explain other than to say I now sense that connection to something beyond this plane of existence, and this awareness grounds me even more.
I love listening to the ways others have found to make sense of it all, and relish the opportunity to help folks find new pieces of the puzzle that informs their own understandings of the miraculous mystery of our existence.
