This is a Sermon I gave online to the
Unitarian Universalist Church of Brevard on 8/15/21.
(FYI, the extra punctuation is to remind me to breathe
- in general good advice).
What is Beloved Community
Let me begin with the intention of creating this space as inclusive, as a
beloved community. A community of equality and equity, where we are
all welcomed, heard and celebrated for our diversity. Now as a
white person I feel a little awkward talking about issues of race, particularly,
as I benefit from the system of oppression we have built in this country.
But as a white person, it is also my responsibility to speak up, particularly
to others, who benefit from society’s white dominated view. To seek the
creation of a beloved community, I need to start by recognizing, where
we fail to be. I need to recognize where I fail, either through ignorance,
or inaction, or fear.
The root of the beloved community, to me, is actions towards inclusion,
towards true equality, and understanding through listening. I am a
work in progress, as we all are, and I seek to grow and learn with
each of you, as we create this beloved community together.
When we as Unitarian Universalists are asked what we believe,
we often turn to our 7 principles. We seek to create the world
within our values, often using terms found in the traditions of
nonviolent civil disobedience and the civil rights movements,
like beloved community.
As a review, Unitarian Universalists affirm and promote:
The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
Acceptance of one another and encouragement to
spiritual growth in our congregations;
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic
process within our congregations and in society at large;
The goal of world community with peace, liberty,
and justice for all;
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence
of which we are a part.
The term Beloved Community, comes into popular use,
from the Civil Rights Movement, and in particular,
Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr. The King center describes
the Beloved Community as
an ideal community...a society of justice, peace and harmony
which can be achieved through nonviolence….Dr. King said,
“The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the
beloved community.”
A Harvard article by Grace Tatter defines beloved community as:
“a community in which everyone is cared for, absent
of poverty, hunger, and hate.”
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/19/01/achieving-kings-beloved-community
An admirable goal, but seemingly out of reach. The King Center
clarifies this more, they say:
For Dr. King, The Beloved Community was not a lofty utopian goal...
The Beloved Community was for him a realistic, achievable goal
that could be attained by a critical mass of people committed to
and trained in the philosophy and methods of nonviolence”.
As Unitarian Universalists, we seek to share in a beloved community.
We share a covenant with one another, shared in our 7,
(and sometimes 8) principles. Did I say 8 principles?
Yes, and not quite. Unlike more traditional faiths,
we do not have doctrines, or infallible truths.
We are a living tradition. Which means our principles
are just that, living, moving, changing, and growing over
time; and the UUA commits itself to revisiting those traditions
as we grow.
According to the UUA, Article II; (which is where we find our
seven principles and six sources); it was last updated in 1987.
Much has changed in the world since 1987, and as our world
changes, our covenant to each should grow, with our changing world.
Due to this, a commission has been created to
reexamine Article II, who is charged to:
review Article II of the UUA Bylaws, and propose any revisions
that will enable our UUA, our member congregations, and our
covenanted communities to be a relevant and powerful force
for spiritual and moral growth, healing, and justice
https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/article-ii-study-commission
Since 1987, several proposals have been made to add to,
or amend the 7 principles. This includes the 5th principle ,
in which our democratic inclusivity, was reviewed in 2009,
and several reviews of the inclusivity, of our newest 7th Principle.
As for the proposed 8th principle, this stems from some of the
same conversations seen in the 5th and 7th principles.
Paula Cole Jones, who was the mid Atlantic director Director
of Racial & Social Justice, started working with Bruce Pollack-Johnson
on an 8th principle proposal in 2013, and eventually in 2017
recommended the UUA adopt this principle.
The proposed 8th principle is, we
covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward
spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse
multicultural Beloved Community by our actions
that accountably dismantle racism and other
oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
https://www.8thprincipleuu.org/
(read above twice)
From the 8th principles website, Ms Jones
developed the idea of the existence of 2 different paradigms
in UU circles: the UU 7 Principles and Beloved Community
(deep multiculturalism). After working with congregations
on these issues for over 15 years, she realized that a person
can believe they are being a “good UU” and following the
7 Principles without thinking about or dealing with racism
and other oppressions at the systemic level.
https://www.8thprincipleuu.org/
Note here in the 8th principle is the term “Beloved Community”.
Now many state that our 7 principles already encourage these
principles, from inherent worth and dignity, to justice, democracy,
community and interdependence. And that is a valid statement.
We as Unitarian Universalists encourage one another towards
social justice. We are often the first in line, to stand against
oppression and injustice.
But we should also look at ourselves, with a critical eye.
Are we living up to our beloved community? Are we being
explicitly all inclusive? Are we truly allies, together in
Beloved Community?
From the King Center Website:
The Beloved Community, as described by Dr. King, is a global vision,
in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. In the
Beloved Community, poverty, hunger and homelessness
will not be tolerated because international standards of
human decency will not allow it.
Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice
will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood.
In the Beloved Community, international disputes will be resolved
by peaceful conflict-resolution and reconciliation of adversaries,
instead of military power. Love and trust will triumph over fear
and hatred. Peace with justice will prevail over war and military conflict.
In theory, we as Unitarian Universalists do just this. We seek to
be all inclusive, to resist descrimination, to seek peace and justice,
and to be in a beloved community. But as has been pointed out by
our critical members, our principles come from a predominately
white culture view, and the 8th principle seeks to make us
explicitly state our commitment to beloved community,
and everything that entails.
And perhaps having our intentions explicitly stated is what reminds
us to move towards action, when we have the option to remain neutral.
Am I saying that you must embrace this principle to be
anti-racist, no, but as we are a living tradition, it is worth discussing.
Let me make an analogy that may seem controversial, but stay with me
for a moment. In 2012, in our own backyard, the modern Black Lives Matter
movement started with the tragic death of Trayvon Martin. When his killer
George Zimmerman was acquitted in 2013, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors,
and Opal Tometi responded with a Black-centered political movement
called #BlackLivesMatter.
Now as a white person, I had to learn a few things from
#BlackLivesMatter and the BIPOC community. The argument of
course is that All Lives Matter, that is the goal. But it's specifically
calling out individually that black lives, indegenious lives, AAPI and
LGBTQ lives matter, that shines the light on that inequality.
If I break a bone, the focus has to be on the bone that is in need of care,
not the whole body all at once. The systematic inequality of non white
and LGBTQ communities, is that broken bone.
In my view of the 8th Principle, and this calling out of living our
beloved community, anti racism and anti oppression; it is our
Black Lives Matter statement. As Paula Cole Jones said of me,
as a white “good UU person”, I get to choose when I want
to focus on race issues, and I can choose when to remain neutral.
Others in our beloved community don’t get the luxury of choosing,
society chooses for them. Society does not allow people of color
to be neutral in their well being. And if I am to truly be in the
beloved community of the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr., I need to
commit to inclusivity, to justice work and radical love. To not just
dismantling institutions of racism and oppression, but to recognize
those institutions within ourselves.
So what does this mean for us? To be a beloved community of
Unitarian Universalists for us, is to create and continue, to work
on being in covenant with one another. To listen, more than we speak.
To discuss views and disagree, but understand some connections
are greater than our personal worldview.
To see the greater humanity, within each other and to celebrate our
differences, and diversities. While at the same time, seeing our
commonalities, and understanding we all bring our own experiences
with us, and that’s a good thing. We should understand that your
experience, is not my experience, and our diversity makes us stronger.
We need to “walk the walk” as they say, of being in community.
So as we seek a beloved community, within our congregation,
within our community, and in the greater UUA, let us strive, to
radically love, our fellow human beings. Let us practice empathetic
listening, and a greater understanding for each other, especially
when our views are challenged.
We can leave room for grace and understanding, and walk
together in each other’s shoes, as we do our own. Let us seek
to create a beloved community, through solidarity and non violence.
Let us understand ways, to be that change for one another we
collectively seek. Let us see each other as beloved, and
worthy of dignity, and respect. Let us be, together, in
a beloved community.
https://www.8thprincipleuu.org/
https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/article-ii-study-commission
