Our theme for May is Story and the question we ask ourselves is, “What does it mean to be a people of story?”

We certainly live with a lot of stories. I think the best stories are the ones through which we continue to discover new meaning, or that help us make meaning in times of struggle or pain.

Often, we visualize our lives unfolding like a story we hold in our imagination. Perhaps that story is one with which we are familiar and hope to repeat. Or perhaps our hope is that our own story will be totally different from the storied lives we’ve grown up around. Our life story might unfold as we planned, or we could have a year like this last one, where the story is promptly disrupted, and the vision forward forever changed.

When we think of what it means to be a people of story, we can think about our own personal stories, or the stories that form the context of our lives. Our families have stories. Our communities have stories. Our country has a story. And we are now very aware that the world has a story, and we are part of that, as well.

I’m reminded of that phrase, “Life is what happens when we are busy making plans.” Now is the time for the stories that help us find meaning in times of struggle.

Unitarian Universalism has a story. Our spiritual ancestors were in a theological debate for which they gave their lives. All around them people were saying that God had predestined not just the big story of humanity, but our individual stories, too. Supposedly, some of us were slotted for heaven and others for hell. And God had written the list in ink. Nothing any of us could do about it. Our Unitarian and Universalist ancestors believed freedom played a larger role than fate.

This month we are encouraged to consider the tension between fate and freedom, as we contemplate how we might shape our own stories, as well as the stories within which we live.

Soul matters offers this thought: “All the world is an improv show! Our job is to hop on the stage and make up the script as we go!”

As we go through this month, I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts.

 

In Love and Hope,

Rev. Alice