Minister’s Letter 10/1/2024
Dear Friends,
I wonder how often you find yourself passing one of the beautiful cemeteries in our city. There are many of them, filled with stories and even sometimes coyotes. As a child I was very taken by cemeteries. I loved to walk around them and look at the headstones. I marveled at how long-ago people were alive and wondered who they might have been. I was curious about why some of the stones were massive sculptures and others were just little memorials resting on the ground. I did not immediately understand that it mostly had to do with wealth and access to power. I wondered if it was just random, some kind of fate, not unlike the experience of life at times. Cemeteries cultivated a kind of awe within me. I wonder if you ever experienced something similar.
Passing by cemeteries and walking through them these days I have noticed that there are signs posted on the fence of the cemetery that say: “Out of respect for the living and the dead, please don’t litter.” Along with noticing those who are buried in the land, I read these words and am afforded the opportunity to reflect on what they mean. Now, of course, this sign makes sense at a cemetery. What if we imagined signs like this everywhere: an encouragement to honor our ancestors by taking care of this earth we call home. And while we’re at it, we could add a line about future generations too: Out of respect for the living, the dead, and those yet to come, please don’t litter.
We just had our climate revival last Sunday. Now, litter might seem a bit removed from climate change, but there is a connection. Because part of how we are called to face the converging crises of our climate is to try to act in such a way that we honor our ancestors, respect our neighbors, and prepare to be good ancestors ourselves.
I believe I have shared before that there was a time when I was so frustrated with the national structures of Unitarian Universalism that I needed to take a break from our larger community. My dear friend Elandria called me back into the fold. They encouraged me to attend our annual General Assembly and just begin the journey of reconnecting. The Rev. Josh Pawelek delivered a sermon about becoming worthy of being ancestors. He called us, each of us, to engage in the world in ways we could be proud of leaving behind. I wanted to be part of that. I wanted to feel worthy.
Last Sunday, after service, I had a few people share with me that they felt uncomfortable with part of my message. The quote I offered from Rebecca Solnit that declared our individual actions as “relatively insignificant.” She goes on, “The world must change, but it won’t happen because one person does or does not consume something.” What I heard from you was a combination of frustration, anger, hurt, and feelings of being dismissed. I am really sorry for creating that dynamic. Living with integrity, following our values, and making choices that honor this beautiful earth we live on – these things matter. When we make individual choices to reduce our negative impacts on the world, we are connecting to larger efforts and communities that are striving to do similarly. We are also, like the sign at the cemetery, honoring the living and the dead. We are choosing to act in a way that matters. I am sorry for suggesting it does not matter.
I am grateful to be part of a community that shares feedback, that offers me reflections on the impact my words have, and I appreciate that you trust me to hold your words with care and truly engage with them. Being in relationship is a blessing and it is not always easy. Please do share with me the good, the hard, the exciting, the frustrating, the many truths that come up for you.
In faithful solidarity,
