FROM: Unitarian Universalism
TO: My dearest UUs
I am writing to you all today full of emotions, both worry and hope. So many things in the world have changed over the past few years, and so have I. We look at the weary world and wonder, what good can we still do? We see the pain and systemic hate perpetuated on our planet – sometimes against our planet – and feel disheartened. What can we do?
But I am Unitarian Universalism, and I say to you that we have done good, that we can do good…and in some cases we might be the only people who can. But in order for you all to use my larger light, we must gather our individual lights together and let go of hiding them under our own personal bushel.
I know I am changing, and that is scary. I know I am using different words and sentences to say who I am, and that is scary. But we are the people of change, of looking to the future of our world and what new work we must do. We were at the forefront of civil rights, of women’s rights, of environmental rights. I know it is hard to see some of those things being tamped down after the work we did before.
But just like everything in the world, we must change with the changing times. Certainly, the world was a different place in 1961, when we became Unitarian Universalism. We had different words to describe our purpose and identity then. And over time, we have shifted and changed, reviewed and revised.
Please dear UUs, love me not only for who I have been, but also for who I am today. If you do, you are not turning your back on our past. We have made great strides together, and with your commitment and support, I – Unitarian Universalism – have learned and grown. Won’t you continue to learn and grow with me?
I am a living tradition. One that continues to change, grow, build, and rebuild. It’s one of the key things that UUism offers that other Faith traditions may not. We are not stuck in the words of yesteryear. We are not held accountable for long lost Prophets, tied down by a creed, or bound to one ancient text. We are accountable for OUR actions, set free with our beliefs, and bound by humanity and love.
The great James Luther Adams, sometimes called father of liberal religion, said this, “Religious liberalism depends on the principle that ‘revelation’ is continuous.” Our religious tradition is a living tradition because we are always learning new truths.
So, I ask you again dear UUs, will you love me not only for who I have been, but also for who I am today? And truly, not just who I am today, but who I may become? I will keep on changing, hopefully becoming more and more true to myself and the principles and values I espouse.
But I cannot do it alone. And I cannot do it if you will not join me. Fear of change and a holding to the past is difficult to overcome. But I know we can. We must, for the world needs us. And we can’t have a future if we don’t accept that we keep on moving forward.
I hope you will join me. I hope you can see me. I hope my light is guiding your way. And I ask once more, can you love me not only for who I have been, but also for who I am today? Let’s let go, let’s go on, let’s grow on. Together, we can do it.
Sincerely,
Unitarian Universalism in 2024
Author: Paula Gribble, Director of Lifespan Religious Education