Truth and Meaning: Hope and Love

Truth and Meaning: Hope and love

Hope and love. These are wonderful emotions that people of all faiths can share and grow. We can worship together and feel the transcendent power of our spirits united in common concern. We can work together to help the needy and build beloved community. We can read, sing and pray inspiring words that foster compassion for humanity and our world.

Hope and love are beautiful flowers — fragrant … and fragile. Hope and love require careful nurturing and protection from the elements and from forces that would consume them until they withered and died.

Hope and love require courage. They require the courage to resist the storms of hate and oppression. They require the courage to stand up to the winds of ignorance and bigotry. Hope and love survive only when people have the courage to protect them from violence and the evil influences that poison the soul.

Hope and love are the crops cultivated by farmers of the spirit. And in order to grow a crop of hope and love, we farmers of the spirit must be courageous. We must persevere when problems abound like locusts, or seem as insurmountable as a hail storm. We must labor to fend off invasive plants, the icy frost, or the flames of drought.

But, most of all, the farmers of the spirit must guard hope and love from the attacks of the ignorant, and from the slander of the hateful. We must nurture the fields of hope and love from the violent bullying of those driven by fear and prejudice, of privilege and entitlement, of irrationality and selfishness.

This is not easy work. It can be exhausting, even scary, and always challenging. But the harvest … the harvest is magnificent! The bounty of hope and love will spill over the tables, feeding all who hunger, all who yearn for its sustenance. Farmers of the spirit, join with me! Let us till the fertile soil and protect our seedlings from the pestilence of hate, the storms of fear. Let us stand, hand in hand, until the sweetness of hope and love dispels all bitterness, and let us join in that communion table together.

Heroes

In my journey into ministry, many heroes have lighted my path and fortified me when I faltered or felt weak.  Some, like Gandhi and King and Jesus, I share with billions.  Others, like Reeb and Liuzzo, Servetus and Weigel, are perhaps known mostly within Unitarian Universalist circles.  For me, these icons of courage ARE ministry - they represent the commitment and impact I wish for my own life, either through my own direct action or through those I may influence.

This is why I blog.  I write, not because I consider myself uniquely qualified or particularly erudite, but because I can.  After years advising youth, I saw what hard work and a willingness to be vulnerable, to serve as a mentor or role model, could do for seekers, for those walking alongside me on the path toward truth and meaning.

That is why, when I was invited to become a regular, contributing blogger to the Midland Daily News, I jumped at the opportunitiy.  Midland is a great small town.  But, Midland is also a very conservative town - or at least it seems to be dominated by the voices of conservatism and privilege.  I saw this as a fantastic opportunity to spread a message of progressive values, of hope and love, of the vision of the beloved community.

Almost immediately, opposition to my message arose.  And that opposition has been dominated by the voice of one person.

This voice is the voice of hate.  It is the voice of intolerance.  It is the voice of violent intimidation.  It is the voice of the schoolyard bully.

We all remember the schoolyard bully.  Most of us felt powerless to stand up to their strength and their willingness to employ any means to mold our behavior to suit their needs.  Those who did resist were beaten or shamed into submission.

In the adult world, the bully has more powerful tactics.  And this bully uses them all.  He has dressed in the sheets of the Klan, showing this community his endorsement of their legacy of murder and destruction.  He taunts and labels opponents with every term of vile slander his mind can conceive - terms of racism, misogyny, hatred of gays and lesbians, and anyone who does not share his unique view of Christianity or American history.  He twists and perverts sacred texts, bending them to support his claims.  And he directly threatens violent action, all in attempt to silence my words.

Early on, I had to decide - do I engage with this bully or simply ignore him?  And while ignoring the bully is a viable tactic, I remembered my heroes.  I remembered the authority of my pulpit and my ministry passed down to me from thousands over the centuries who faced their own bullies.  And I decided that the powerless, the voiceless, the underprivileged needed me to be a good ally and to stand up to this bully.

And so, I have engaged this man and his alleged supporters.  I have endured his slurs and his hate.  I have read his threats and lies.  And each time, I have refuted his arguments, called him out on his threats, and challenged his assumptions, all with the power of love.  For I believe that love can indeed conquer all of the bullies in the world.

This week, so many of you have approached me at General Assembly, offering encouragement in this ongoing struggle.  Together, we are standing on the side of love against cowards who wear sheets and burn crosses, against the ignorant and hateful who carry signs and chant slogans, and against our societal paradigms that continue to oppress the poor, the undocumented immigrant, women, people of color, the young and the old, and those who challenge our social norms of gender identity and sexual orientation.  I owe all of you an enormous debt of gratitude.  Thank you.

Truth and Meaning: The Place for Commandments

Truth and Meaning: The Place for Commandments

A Michigan legislator has introduced a bill allowing the ten commandments to be posted in our public schools (SB 423). Many people object to such efforts, not necessarily because they disagree with the commandments themselves, but on the grounds that such displays infringe on our guaranteed freedoms of religion in this nation.

You may wonder, though, even if someone were not Jewish or Christian, why would they object to displaying the document, since it presents such an seemingly acceptable list of rules of conduct. While acceptance of the ten commandments may seem inherently obvious to some, perhaps even most Americans, they run fundamentally counter to my beliefs and the tenets of my personal faith. I view the posting of the Ten Commandments in my public spaces as an attempt to impose a religion on me and on all those people who do not hold with those commandments’ underlying assumptions and emphases.

So, while I respect anyone's desire to live by these rules, let me explain why I do not.

1. Have no other gods before me — I do not believe in the Christian god...or the Hebrew god, or the Muslim god, or any other religion's specifically delineated deity. I believe that everything everywhere and in all times comprises godness, including each of us. Therefore, I hold all of existence sacred before the gods of the New Testament, the Old Testament, the Qur'an, or any other text. Verdict: I reject this commandment as inconsistent with my religious omnitheism.

2. Do not make graven images/idols — I refuse to be threatened by and intimidated into worshiping what this commandment identifies as a self-proclaimed "jealous god." I bow in commitment to love and to doing everything I can to make this and all worlds better places. I need no golden calf. I worship the vision of beloved community, a future where the inherent worth and dignity of all people is respected. Verdict: I reject this commandment as irrelevant to my religious beliefs.

3. Do not take the name of the lord in vain — I respect others' beliefs, and ask only in return that my own beliefs are respected. I cannot promise to remain respectful, however, when followers of the biblical god curse me and seek to infringe on my freedom of belief by presuming that theirs is the only true religion of my country. I cannot stand mute and allow some to murder, torture and oppress others all in the name of their god. Verdict: I reject this commandment as unfair and disrespectful of my religious beliefs.

4. Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy — I reserve the right to determine the times and places that I consider holy, whether it is in a church or a forest, on Sunday morning or any other day of the week. My sabbath occurs not when I am on bended knee before a god, but when I kneel to feed a hungry child or give hope to the hopeless. Verdict: I reject this commandment as unimportant to my religious practice.

5. Honor your father and your mother — I honor my father and mother because they earned my honor by doing their duty as parents, not simply because they procreated. I take pride in my parenthood, not because I made someone pregnant, but because I love my children and raised them to be loving and responsible adults. A person earns honor by loving all of the children of the world, whether they are a biological father or mother, or not. Verdict: I reject this commandment for its misdirected emphasis from the real meaning of parenthood.

6. Do not murder — The Bible abounds with killing sanctioned by god. This commandment includes only a proscription against killing one's own kind (murder). I reject ALL killing, whatever its form or its supposed justification. Verdict: I strongly reject this commandment as biased and weak in its failure to respect the sacredness of all persons.

7. Do not commit adultery — I believe in respecting the bond of love, which also includes the right of ALL people who love each other and wish to commit to each other to be married and to receive the rights and privileges of married couples. Supporting the institution of marriage should also include making it available to all consenting adults, and ensuring that families have the resources they need to stay healthy and happy. Verdict: I reject this commandment as inconsistent and hypocritical.

8. Do not steal — Every person deserves to own the product of their labor, which goes beyond mere possession of objects or payment of salary. A just society commits to economic as well as legal justice, and does not permit a privileged few to steal wealth from the efforts of the masses. Verdict: I reject this commandment for failing to address the evil of greed and the preventable scourge of poverty.

9. Do not bear false witness — Not lying must also include a commitment to seeking the truth. Too many religious people refuse to examine and weigh evidence regarding their beliefs, which is the worst form of lying — lying to yourself. Verdict: I reject this commandment as failing to encourage free thought and the use of reason.

10. Do not covet anything that is your neighbor's — Loving your neighbor must mean more than resisting jealousy. Loving your neighbor means that I am willing to sacrifice for my neighbor, that I am willing to love my neighbor even if he does not reciprocate that love, and that I am willing to defend the rights of that neighbor regardless of our differences. Verdict: I reject this commandment for failing to address the greater important message of compassion and our ministry to each other.

The ten commandments — as well as every other list of rules suggested by other world religions — have played a part in the development of human society. But, these ancient lists bear little significance to modern society. And their posting in public places, which brings with it an implicit endorsement by the state, is inconsistent with our commitment to the free exercise of religion.

I applaud you if you live by the ten commandments, or the five pillars of Islam, or the analects of Confucius, or the noble truths of Buddhism, and have crafted your personal moral code from these teachings. Unitarian Universalists make all of these codes, and more, available in our churches and fellowships. We educate our children about all religious traditions and in the critical thinking skills needed to craft their own principles. But religious texts should only be made available in public academic settings if they are going to be open to the same free inquiry and analysis as other writings, and not as inherently representative of the beliefs of all Americans.

Truth and Meaning: Who I Am

Truth and Meaning: Who I Am

A few days ago, someone wrote in response to my most recent post. The writer took issue with me on a number of issues. The arguments were not new and call for no new responses.

However, at the end of the rant, the writer asked, “who do you think you are?” Here is my reply.

• I am a father and a husband who believes that men who abuse women and children are cowards and bullies, and that men must speak out against our culture of rape and violence.
• I am a straight ally working to help everyone to live according to their sexual orientation and gender identity, and toward a society without discrimination against people for who they love.
• I am a religious person who needs no creed or threat of godly punishment to live a caring and honest life, and who respects all those who love their neighbors.
• I am a feminist who believes that all of the sisters and daughters should control their bodies and their medical choices, and that all women should be free to make their own family planning and life decisions.
• I am an anti-racist who believes that people who hate others on the basis of their skin color or ethnicity are ignorant and hateful, and that those who refuse to call out such bigotry are complicit in its evil.
• I am a citizen who believes in duty and performing public service that benefits all people and not just the rich and the people in our society born with privilege.
• I am a student of history who understands that greatness comes from commitment and ideals and not from brutality and bullets.
• I am a man who believes that manhood is defined by character, compassion, and reason and not by intimidation, force, and rage.
• I am a dreamer who sees a future world without hunger or untreated illness; a world working to eradicate the causes of war – greed, violence, inequality – and the oppression they produce.
• I am one voice speaking a message of hope and love and listening for other voices to join in the chorus.

Truth and Meaning: The Way

Truth and Meaning: The Way

To some of you, I am a fresh voice preaching a simple message of hope and compassion. To others, I am a bearded anarchist tossing bombs at sacred institutions. Perhaps I am both.

Many of you may be thinking, “I like what he says, but it’s just not realistic. It isn't human nature to be the way he suggests.” To you, I respond, “Who says so?” Babies are not born violent, or sinful, or racist, or homophobic, or misogynistic. We teach them these things. We teach them to love guns, to lie and cheat, to covet money, and to hate people different from themselves. We teach our boys that rape is OK if the girl provokes it. We teach our girls that they are innately less worthy, less intelligent, less capable.

Some of you may be thinking, “I like what he says, but it’s just not practical. We can’t change the world to be that way.” To you, I respond, “Why not?” We teach our children that the world is the way it is because it is the product of centuries of progress and civilization. We teach our children that great people led us down this path and that we must not stray. And I ask, what if those people were wrong, or misguided, or misinformed? What if those people made the world the way it is today because it was to their advantage to do so?

A few of you may be thinking, “But, there is no way out. The system is too big, the changes required are too massive, the people with money and power will never let change happen.” To you, I respond, “What can you do?” If you could teach just one child something you were not taught, what would you teach? Would you teach them confidence in themselves? Would you teach them that they are beautiful just as they are? Would you teach them that every person has inherent worth and dignity?

The Way to a better world really is quite easy. Who can follow it? You can. Why should you follow it? Because the way of love is the only right way. What should you do? Whatever you can.

Will it be enough? Who can say? Look at the impact of people who listen to their own inner voice and simply live lives of love. In the end, the world will change. All the guns in the world cannot kill love. All the hate in the world cannot engulf love. All the rules and dogma and intimidation in the world cannot prevent love. Teach love and it will spread.

Truth and Meaning: Providence

Truth and Meaning: Providence

Born in 1741, John Murray’s childhood was dominated by a Calvinist father whose fears for John’s soul led him to beat and isolate his son. The boy saw religion as a gloomy means to control people’s behavior. As a teenager, Murray met John Wesley, who encouraged his protégé on the path to the Methodist ministry, and to read books John’s father had forbidden.

Murray started preaching. But several personal crises and family losses, combined with his growing doubts about John Wesley’s theology, propelled Murray into a state of despair. Believing there was a higher purpose in life for him, he left Ireland for England. John heard a sermon by George Whitefield and admired the preacher’s nondenominational, welcoming style. Whitefield soon asked Murray to preach at his Tabernacle in London, where John fell in love and married Eliza Neale.

James Relly, a Welsh preacher, was in London lecturing on universal salvation. As a good Methodist, John despised Relly, but found his arguments persuasive. Murray read Relly’s writings and found that his interpretation of the scriptures made sense. John and Eliza heard Relly preach and both were profoundly affected. John wrote in his autobiography: “It was clear that Christ Jesus died for all, for the sins of the whole world and that everyone must finally be saved…I conceived if I had an opportunity of conversing with the whole world, the whole world would be convinced. It might truly have been said, that we had a taste of heaven below.”

The Methodists expelled John from the Tabernacle.

John’s contentment with life ended abruptly when Eliza and their infant son died. Debt-ridden and despondent, Murray decided to leave the ministry and move to America. His ship ran aground, however, on a sandbar off the New Jersey coast. John went ashore in search of provisions and encountered a farmer named Thomas Potter. Potter had built a meetinghouse on his property for itinerant preachers and was waiting for one who embraced universal salvation. There was no doubt in Potter’s mind that God had sent John Murray for this purpose. He urged Murray to preach, but John refused, preferring to leave his past behind and sail on to New York as planned.

Potter warned Murray, “The wind will never change, sir, until you have delivered to us, in that meeting-house, a message from God.” And the wind remained calm for days until John believed in God’s intervening hand and he delivered a sermon. He felt his sense of calling and purpose return. Over the remainder of his life, Murray spread the Universalist message in America.

Whatever you call it — God, Yahweh, Allah, Nature, Synchronicity — we are all called by providence to heal and not to harm. To paraphrase a quote often attributed to Murray: Go out into the highways and by-ways. You may possess only a small light, but uncover it, let it shine, use it in order to bring more light and understanding to the hearts and minds of men and women. Give them, not hell, but hope and courage. Do not push them deeper into their theological despair, but preach kindness and everlasting love.

​Truth and Meaning: Cleverness

​Truth and Meaning: Cleverness

We Americans consider ourselves a clever people. We equate education with knowledge and privilege with power. These are both false assumptions.

True wisdom doesn’t come from a book, but from a willingness to embrace unknowable mysteries and to acknowledge that we cannot know all of the answers. True power is not a birthright passed down through traditions, but is gained only when we use our inherent gifts of reason and intuition to discern our own truth and meaning in life.

Love is as the ark appointed for the righteous,
Which annuls the danger and provides a way of escape.
Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment;
Cleverness is mere opinion, bewilderment intuition.
                 -- from Book IV of The Masnavi, by Sufi Poet Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi

Rumi is perhaps the best known adherent of Sufism, the inner and mystical dimension of Islam. Rumi’s writings remind us of the need to seek the divine spark within that connects us all with each other and with all existence.

We cannot come together through facts and figures, through clever arguments and debate, or through the uncritical application of ancient scriptures. We can only come together by putting aside materialistic and political concerns and by loving the divine within each of us.