Hello to All of our Beloved Members and Friends during this busy Holiday Season.
Whatever our inherited or chosen spiritual or religious practices are, most of us would probably agree that it’s a time of year that a century ago was probably more spiritual and holy than it is now. In the first world countries, especially, there are lots of parties and occasions between Thanksgiving and New Year, plus lots of obligations to employers, friends and family. At least that’s the case for some folks, but for other people unmet expectations or the lack of or loss of loved ones can make it a sad, painful or very lonely time.
Disconnection is the problem. Either we can be so busy that we disconnect from ourselves and we forget to take care of our own needs, or we can become disconnected from others by forgetting to pay attention to the people around us who may be having a hard time, or being embarrassed to reach out… Or BOTH.
Our Seventh Principle points out the antidote to disconnection, respect for the interdependent web of existence. As written by the Rev. Forrest Gilmore, Executive Director of Shalom Community Center, Bloomington, IN, “Our seventh Principle, respect for the interdependent web of all existence, is a glorious statement. Yet we make a profound mistake when we limit it to merely an environmental idea. It is so much more. It is our response to the great dangers of both individualism and oppression. It is our solution to the seeming conflict between the individual and the group.
“Our seventh Principle may be our Unitarian Universalist way of coming to fully embrace something greater than ourselves. The interdependent web—expressed as the spirit of life, the ground of all being, the oneness of all existence, the community-forming power, the process of life, the creative force, even God—can help us develop that social understanding of ourselves that we and our culture so desperately need. It is a source of meaning to which we can dedicate our lives.”
Of course, it’s not just UU’s who recognize this.
Some others belong to an organization I recently discovered called Kosmos, which I would imagine some of our members already know about, but many do not. “KOSMOS” is an ancient Greek term meaning the harmony and beauty of the universe wherein all parts have their place within the Whole.
Their website says, “The Kosmos mission is to inform, inspire and engage individual and collective participation for global transformation in harmony with all Life. We do this by sharing transformational thinking and policy initiatives, aesthetic beauty and wisdom, local to global… Our roots are at the United Nations, where a group of globally-conscious, spiritually-oriented people, including NGO staff and ambassadors, integral thinkers and peace-builders began meeting in the year 2000.”
When I read the wonderful essays and articles posted on their website (www.kosmosjournal.org ), it looks to me like a “hotbed” of Unitarian Universalist thinkers. Many of their well-written articles and essays focus on building connected communities.
So in light of us staying connected, I encourage everyone reading this to participate in the activities that feed your souls, but at the same time plan to enjoy the holidays by taking time to reflect and care for yourself. If you want to connect with us at church, there are lots of wonderful activities coming up, and you are most welcome to join us for any and all of them. We treasure you and value your individual self no matter who you are and what you believe.
Connect with us!
In Love and Fellowship,
Laura Keith King
UUCP Board President