Hope For the Future

Last Sunday, we had a service at the First Universalist Parish called "A Service For All of Us" that involved people ages 2 and up - an Intergenerational Service in all aspects. What impressed and moved me the most were the youth who shared with the congregation their learning and reflections of other faith traditions. They had studied Quakerism, Catholicism and Islam through the Neighboring Faiths Curriculum so we heard a Muslim call to prayer, sat together for three minutes of silence in the Quaker tradition, and listened to the Nicene Creed being recited. Where is the common ground between these faith traditions and Unitarian Universalism? How did it feel for them to participate in a Quaker meeting or witness a Catholic service? Their responses were honest, thoughtful and I found, incredibly inspiring. They are the hope of our future. We need to find common ground as people of faith, as neighbors across the road and the ocean. We must find and celebrate what we hold in common. And confront our own fears of difference, join in healing our past experiences of religion that might prevent us being able to see the commonalities. There are many Unitarian Universalists who have had negative, traumatic and difficult experiences with another faith tradition. This is true. And as part of a UU congregation, we can support each other in the journey through that experience that may have been painful, into another way of seeing, another way of connecting with what is sacred to us. In those wonderful words of Rumi: "There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground." I felt honored to participate in this service with these young people for they were voices and open minds that reminded me of this reality. There is hope for the future.