Dear Ones:

I’m writing this column a few days after the inauguration of Donald Trump to the United States presidency, which happened on January 20th, the same day as annual Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. As some of you know, UUSE and Moral Monday CT held a “prophetic listening” session on that day. We organized this session in alignment with Repairers of the Breach, a national organization that trains activists and leaders in social justice movements. It’s been a few years since Bishop John Selders and Pamela Selders of Moral Monday CT have joined us at UUSE for a program like this. It was good to be in their presence. Even so, it was difficult to listen to the inaugural speech. As I said in my remarks on Sunday the 19th, much of the agenda that President Trump and the new Congress are pursuing directly contradicts some of Unitarian Universalism’s most prominent public commitments. These include commitments to racial and economic justice, to environmental stewardship, to GLBTQ people and communities, to democratic institutions and processes, to the humane treatment of immigrants, and more. We are understandably upset.

It was good to be among friends. It was difficult to listen.

At the prophetic listening session, and in conversations with many of you and others in the wider community these past few weeks, I have been struck by all the ways despair and hope intermingle in our hearts. While I never want to downplay or ignore the despair we are feeling in response to national events—it is certainly very real—it remains my intention to focus as much as I can on the sources of hope. Maybe focus a little less on what the president and his followers are saying and doing, and focus a little more on pursuing important, life-giving, justice-seeking, community-building ministries with our friends and partners. That feels hopeful.

Our ministry theme for February is inclusion. This strikes me as a critical theme for us given that much of the messaging coming out of Washington feels very exclusive. What can we do as a congregation to make sure we maintain a welcoming, hospitable and inclusive congregational community, especially for those who are currently under attack? That feels like a hopeful question to me. I am planning to explore this question more deeply in my February 16th sermon, which I am currently calling “On Inclusion.” (My sermon titles often change once I start writing!)

After twenty-five years in ministry, I’ve learned enough to know that our discussions of inclusivity are not only about who feels welcome and shows up on Sunday mornings. While that matters immensely, our discussions of inclusivity are also about who we support in the wider community, who we partner with in our various ministries, and who regards us as a reliable ally in the work of social, economic and environmental justice. In short, who are our friends?

And maybe that’s as good a place to end as any, with the reminder that it’s good to be among friends. Indeed, if we’re looking for sources of hope in these troubled times, certainly one place to find it is among friends.

With love and faith,

Rev. Josh Pawelek

#FebruaryNewsletter