Inspiration:

What would need to shift inside yourself in order for you to bend the world toward justice?

Bending the World Toward Justice

I think about the quote from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,”…the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.” Most people like to end the quote there but another classmate and friend of mine, Cecilia Runge, once reminded me, the rest of the quote is critically important: “It bends towards justice, but here is the thing: it does not bend on its own. It bends because each of us in our own ways put our hand on that arc and we bend it in the direction of justice…”

The moral arc of the universe doesn’t bend itself towards justice. If we miss the opportunities around us, surely the forces of capitalism and culture will bend that arc in another direction; those forces are guided by many things, but love I do not think is one of them.

by Lena Gardner TO READ MORE

Inspiration:

 “Everything in life is only for now.” – Avenue Q (Broadway musical)

Illness and Chronic Pain

When we become ill, we discover what it means to be a human “being” as opposed to a human “doing.” There can be extraordinary guilt when we realize all the things we assume about ourselves when we are healthy are no longer true. Whether it is a temporary set-back (when recovery is likely) or a chronic condition (which can only be managed, not cured) illness challenges us to see ourselves in a new light and to accept our humanness.

by Barbara Wells ten Hove TO READ MORE

Please join us at 1:30 pm ET for our live service Quest for Meaning.

Inspiration:

Today, do something to shift your perspective – sit in a different spot, talk to a different person, take a different route or mode of transport to work.

A Quest for Spiritual Nourishment

Being a lay leader in my congregation, I encounter people all the time who have been hurt and wounded by religious experiences in the past. Many, like me at one point, feel animosity toward a Christianity they believe has failed them. My advice to them would be to keep seeking the truth. See that we are all human beings on a spiritual journey, and we all have a way to go. I still don’t call myself a Christian; however, I try to live the best life that I can in accordance with my understanding of God and God’s purpose for me. I think that’s a value that most Christians (and I don’t really mind being mistaken for one from time to time!) can agree with and strive toward.

I don’t know exactly what the future holds for me, but I sure am overjoyed to have found a place where I can get the spiritual nourishment I need to continue moving forward.

by Adrian Hilliard TO READ MORE

Inspiration:

How difficult can change be, when every store clerk is willing to make it for you?

Contagious Courage

Consider how contagious courage is. A friend takes a risk and shares something deeply vulnerable. In return, you are moved to share some of your own struggle, telling a story you hadn’t thought of for years. A co-worker challenges negative practices at work. Though you are silent at the time, you go to him later and think about how to change the work environment together.
At their best, our faith communities are laboratories of en-courage-ment, where our authentic selves are affirmed, strengthening our ability for self-affirmation.

It is my deepest hope that being part of the CLF community will inspire acts of courage, because our authentic selves are strengthened in this vast web of connection around the globe. Where do you feel out of connection with your authentic self? What small act of courage might you take today to address that imbalance? How might the CLF community help you with that?
Dorothy Bernard said that “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” May we remember that we are never alone, that our small selves and actions are part of a larger web of being. And may this larger web give us strength and courage.

by Meg Riley, Senior Minister TO READ MORE

Inspiration:

Now it is time that gods came walking out
of lived-in Things…
Time that they came and knocked down every wall
inside my house. New page. Only the wind
from such a turning could be strong enough
to toss the air as a shovel tosses dirt:
a fresh-turned field of breath….

―Rainer Maria Rilke

Spiritual Courage

There are times when my heart is deeply burdened, when I think there is nothing strong in me, no ability to respond with courage to the challenges of life. Yet, like the poet, I can remember my mother, and be grateful to her for instilling in me a sense of what is good and right and true. I can reflect on those brave souls who took their lives into their own hands and did the right thing by rescuing Jews. And I can think of my religious community. When I think of you, and remember I am not alone, I discover in myself seeds of courage.

Are they growing in you? Who has planted them? Who will water them? When called upon, how will you respond? These are religious questions no one can answer for you. But I believe our faith is a strong one that will sustain us even in times of devastation. Let us commit to growing that courage in our children, and in ourselves, so that one day the world may be more just, more kind, and more loving.

by Barbara Wells Ten Hove, Co-Minister, Cedars Unitarian Universalist Church, Bainbridge Island, Washington TO READ MORE