Parker Palmer, author, philosopher and Quaker, speaks of the idea of witnessing the wild animal of your soul, only by sitting still, quietly, together in the woods, in hopes of sneaking a peak at our shy souls. He articulates that when we do this in the company of others we can be changed. What transformations … Continue reading Awakening to the Stillness
“Love is our doctrine,” were the first words of the covenant I grew up with as a Unitarian Universalist. Repeated week by week, I’ve probably said some version of the Griswold Williams covenant a couple of thousand times in my life. But what does it mean, to name love our doctrine? And what kind of … Continue reading Love is Our Doctrine
In this era, with Google always at our fingertips, how often do you say, “I don’t know?” How comfortable is it for you to stay in that space of ‘not knowing?’ What about the concept of humility – is that a good thing, a bad thing? Perhaps it depends on the context. Both not knowing … Continue reading I Don’t Know
In this time, we are facing multiple climate crises. It can be frightening and dispiriting. How can our values and practices sustain and inspire us – as individuals and as a Unitarian community? How can we get from despair to hope? Rev. Meg Roberts has served congregations in various parts of Canada during the last … Continue reading What Sustains and Inspires Us in This Climate Emergency?
Hope is a spiritual practice of sorts, an intention, and an orientation to life. It is also demanding and sometimes illusive. It is personal and collective, as the great Sufi mystic Rumi says, “There is a secret medicine given only to those who hurt so hard, they cannot hope.” It is this: “Look as long … Continue reading Hope, An Orientation to Life
Reilly Yeo is a Candidate for Ministry with the Unitarian Universalist Association, and a Co-Founder of Climate Plan. Prior to entering seminary, she was the Director of Communications and Public Engagement at the David Suzuki Foundation, one of Canada’s largest environmental charities. She lives in James Bay with her partner Jamie, and two young children … Continue reading What Justice Means to Unitarian Universalists
Justice is what love looks like in public is a term coined by Cornell West. As a faith, tradition with love at its center, how do and can we live our faith out loud and how does it sustain and empower us to do the work of justice in our own lives and the larger … Continue reading Justice Is What Love Looks Like In Public
How AI is Shaping Our Understanding of What it Means to Be Human? The advent of AI and chatbots has opened a whole new area of ethics. In what ways is artificial intelligence pushing us to strengthen our ethical and theological muscles? What do our answers to these questions say about our understanding of what … Continue reading To Be or Not to Be – and ChatGPT:
In the Roman pantheon, Janus was the god of both beginnings and endings, holding a key in the right hand to lock up that which is behind us, and a key in the left hand to unlock the dawning future. As the new year begins, let us do two things together, in the spirit of … Continue reading Out of the Flames
In May 2016 at the Canadian Unitarian Council’s Annual General Meeting, a motion was passed to instate the following vision statement: “As Canadian Unitarian Universalists, we envision a world in which our interdependence calls us to love and justice.” 7 years later, what does this vision statement ask of us? How are we expected to … Continue reading Love and Justice
