Hello Beloveds,
Have you ever decided that now is the time to do something? Maybe something you have been putting off or the sense of urgency has changed. So much comes to mind with this question for me especially in light of what is going on in my life, the life of the church, and the world.
My heart is breaking and I am reminded yet again of how much violence happens day in and day out in this country and around the world. There have been over 40 mass shootings since the beginning of the year. And yet another news story about a black man being violently beaten by police as he called out for his mother. Tallahassee lost a member of it’s organizer community with the murder of Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán during their effort to protect the Atlanta Forest. Systemic oppression, racism, and a fear of those that are different contribute to so much of the violence.
I reflect on my sermon on January 15th and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s call to Unitarian Universalists during his 1966 Ware Lecture at General Assembly not to sleep through the revolution. Sadly, not nearly enough has changed since he uttered those words and we are facing a time of revolution again or perhaps still. His words continue to offer us a resounding call to action today. We cannot sit idly by or wait for someone else to do the hard change work required to create the Beloved Community that King spoke of. We are called to do more to disrupt the powers that maintain the status quo. The 8th Principle calls us to actively engage in a journey toward spiritual wholeness through the dismantling of such powers in the effort to build the Beloved Community.
As individuals, we cannot change the world, at least not overnight. However, if we work together to build coalitions within our community and with UUs across the country we have more people power to make our voices heard. The Side With Love campaign has resources that can help connect the congregation to other UUs across the country on several justice matters. Consider the possible ways that you could add your efforts to address important justice issues and how UUCT might mobilize members around one or more of these issues.
About the author
Rev. Holly Brown, Interim Minister
Rev. Holly (they/them/theirs) was ordained on April 3, 2021, by Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church in Charlotte and Salisbury, NC, where they served as a ministerial intern. Rev. Holly earned their Master of Divinity from Methodist Theological School in Ohio (MTSO) with a special focus on UU courses offered by the UU House of Studies at MTSO. During seminary, they served as a student minister at North Unitarian Universalist Church in Lewis Center, Ohio and student chaplain during one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Rev. Holly also served as an Interim Director of Religious Education at the UU Congregation of Greenville, NC before perusing ministry.
Rev. Holly has a passion for Racial Justice, LGBTQIA Rights, Interfaith Work, and Mental Health Awareness and Accessibility Justice. In addition to local justice work, Rev. Holly is a member of several UUA and UUMA (UU Ministers Association) groups including TRUUsT (Trans Religious professional Unitarian Universalists Together), Trans/Nonbinary Ministers, Ministers with Disabilities, ARE (Allies for Racial Equity), and the UU Mental Health Network.