Voting Our Values

 Voting Our Values 

  This is a Sermon I gave online to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brevard on 11/1/20.
(FYI, the extra punctuation is to remind me to breathe - in general good advice).

 

Recently, I was at our church with some non UU friends, and naturally the usual questions 

come up about, What is a Unitarian Universalist.  Who are we, what do we believe, 

the usual confusion and funny looks.  The conversation started with a question about 

our chalice, hanging behind the altar.  

I explained that is our chalice, it is lit at the beginning and extinguished at the end, of 

every service, and different affirmations of our values are said as we do so.  

Now lighting a chalice is not necessarily unique to Unitarian Universalism.  

Many faiths light candles, and say prayers during services, but I went on to explain 

to them the origins of our chalice, and what makes us unique. It is that greater meaning, 

that I feel best defines what Unitarian Universalism is. 

I would imagine that many who light the chalice every week don’t think about its origins.  

With many religions, their rituals are ancient and steadfast, lasting across cultures, 

throughout the centuries.  But for UU’s, while we find our roots in history, many of our 

traditions are relatively young.  

The Flaming Chalice is an example of this.  According to our traditions, 

Refugee Hans Deutsch created the symbol, after fleeing Paris, from Nazi occupation 

during World War II.  Once he escaped he met with Reverend Charles Joy, 

of the Unitarian Service Committee, who asked him to create a symbol 

for their secret network. 

The chalice, was used as a secret underground symbol, for agents moving refugees, 

away from Nazi persecution, to freedom.  The USC was formed in 1940, 

and continues today working for social justice, around the world.  

So proudly, I told my friends, our chalice, is a symbol of hope, of fleeing persecution, 

of aiding refugees and those in need, and it is a symbol of our common faith and character.  

So I think the chalice is a perfect example, of what a Unitarian Universalist is.  

I feel what defines Unitarian Universalists, is not a faith of doctrine, 

although reading and study are important.  But what defines us, is our actions, 

our willingness to live our values.  You see UU’s in their deeds, in their good works.  

We are the people that “show up” for injustice, for compassion, for the common good.  

Our service through our principles, is an expression of our faith. 

A common practice among UU congregations, is the creation of an “Elevator Speech”.  

That theory is - If you are in an elevator with someone, and you only have from when you enter, 

until when they get to their floor, to explain “What is Unitarian Universalism”, 

what do you say? I have heard many good ones, and they are as varied and individual, 

as our membership.  

As I am a child of the 90’s, I like to call my elevator speech, the “Nirvana” speech.  

Mine starts with -  Unitarian Universalism is a “come as you are”, be who you are, 

and be accepted, for who you are spirituality.  We draw from several religions, philosophies 

and practices, both religious and non, and encourage everyone to explore their own faith.  

We do not have any specific dogma, but we have seven principles, that boil down to 

be a good person, be kind to other people and living beings.  Stand up for injustice, 

and follow the golden rule. Basically, be decent, be kind.

Our seven principles paint a good picture, of who we are, and what binds us 

together in community.  But it’s not just what we have in common that strengthens us, 

it is what makes us different.  Diversity helps us to better live our principles, 

to better understand the world around us, and how to stand up to injustices.  

The UUA launched UU the Vote in, January of 2020, which was designed to be the 

5th principle in action, “The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process, 

within our congregations and in society at large”.  We knew that this election year 

would be divisive, but no one could have predicted the unique challenges, 

that 2020 would bring us.  

At first, I wasn’t sure how to take the idea of UU the vote, as a political action within our faith.  

I have always had some difficulty, with the concept of mixing religion, with politics, 

but over this tumultuous year, I have seen the importance of voting for UU values, 

beyond any party or candidate.  

We have a variety of political ideologies in our faith, but we share many common values 

and principles.  These commonalities, are where organizations like UU the vote, 

can help guide us to policies, of compassion and justice.  The pandemic changed many things, 

but more than that, it showed us what needed to change in our society.  

The deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, set off a cry of injustice, 

and a new wave of political action.  But George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, 

were not the first to die unjustly, and they will not be the last.  The pandemic showed us 

that as a country, as a political system, we are NOT living our values.  

That we are not valuing all lives the same.  That we are allowing people to lose their homes 

and livelihood, without assistance due to covid.  That we are not lifting up and supporting, 

the 140 million poor and low-income people in this country.  That we are not supporting, 

the 10 million people without housing or on the brink of homelessness.  

That we are not adequately supporting, and caring for those in need.  

We are not legislating, and voting with our UU values, and living the spirit 

of our second principle - Justice, equity and compassion.  

In the words of Rev. William J Barber II, from “The Poor People’s Campaign, 

A National Call for Moral Revival”

“When we went to share with others the vision we’d received from the Spirit, 

we found that the Spirit was often already moving them. The church didn’t have a monopoly 

on God’s dream. No, the Spirit was stirring all over the community.”

― William J. Barber II

So yes, like Rev Barber's revival of Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s, Poor People’s campaign, 

the spirit of our UU Faith does belong in politics, it belongs, with the people in the community.  

It belongs, In the moral politics of our conscience, and in the morality of our actions. 

Our words, have the power to unify and move us to action, and the action of our vote, 

has the collective power, to enact change.  And that collective spirit, has the power to 

move us all towards justice.  

While politicians have the power, we the people have collective power, and together, 

that power moves legislatures, to act in our interests.  But what are, our collective interests?  

Whose interests am I voting for?  Our political ideas will be diverse, but our collective spirit, 

based in UU principles, are our starting point, our light, in political turmoil.

 The fifth principle, speaks of the The right of conscience.  This can be defined as the right 

to protect people's ability, to do what they believe is morally best, and protect them from 

mandatory participation, if the activity threatens, their fundamental values.

Now moral consciousness gets more difficult, when you have to look beyond what you believe, 

and understand how your beliefs impact others.  What I see as inherent to my beliefs, 

may be against, another's fundamental beliefs. 

You can object if your values don’t include war, don’t include abortion, or gay marriage, 

or vaccines for deadly deseases.  But do you have the right, to conscientiously object, 

if it could harm others?  Is your decision morally OK, if your inaction or action 

harms someone else?  These are the types of questions, we as UU’s must wrestle with, 

when engaging in voting and political action.  We must look at our values as individuals, 

but we must also see the larger world, and how those values affect other people, 

other creatures, and the planet.

So as UU voters, the fundamental questions we should be asking when we vote, 

when we speak out, is what are our UU values?  Who best represents those values, 

and what issues do we need to fight for, to create a world guided by our principles?  

Basically, how can we do the most good for our communities, with our political voice?  

So while we are fatigued, and tired, from all the political rhetoric, while it may seem 

everyone is corrupt, and our vision of a better world is hopeless, I remind myself of that chalice, 

in world war II.  That symbol, to those fleeing persecution, that there was hope, 

that there are those who value, the rights, of others and take action to bring hope, 

to a hopeless world.  

So I ask each of you, to think of those refugees, lost and afraid, looking for hope.  

And I ask you, to be that hope, to light with me, your own personal chalice 

within your heart and soul, and carry it with you as you walk this tumultuous world.  

And to look for others who carry that chalice, who offer you their own hope.  

And remember, we all walk with that light of the chalice, in our hearts.  

Look for it, in the places it burns brightest, and let it guide you in this world, towards hope.  

For each of us, together, can light the world in hope, and create a vision of a future, 

collectively guided, by our principles.  Do not despair, there is always, hope.