My name is Rev. Barbara Gilday. I am a member of the Black Lives Committee and the recently created ABC’s – Actions for Beloved Community, committee. Today I’m sharing the anti-racism moment.
I recently came across a prayer given by Rev. Dr. Randy Becker 9 years ago, at the 2012 GA. In it, I heard the battle fatigue between good intentions, hard work and outcomes. Today I’ll read Excerpts from the prayer with my responses as a representative of our new Actions for Beloved Community group.
Rev. Randy said: The General Assembly has opened, and I am waiting –
listening to past injustices
enduring jingo-istic rhetoric about justice
hearing historical songs about visionary struggles with oppression.
And I Barbara, say: Out of the ashes of the past, the work of the many faithful ones on the journey, and the continuing horrors we have witnessed this past year, a new consciousness and broader determination is evolving.
Randy said. . . I am waiting . . . for someone to say that our Universalist heritage calls upon us all to a radical vision: trusting the whole of humanity and the earth to be of one creation that transcends all humanly created systems of nations, people, and cultures.
And I say: out of our studies, our good intentions, our successes and failures, comes a radical new vision for the future.
Randy said: I am waiting . . .for us to begin to be part of the creation of the future, by proclaiming more than repudiating, by inviting more than condemning, by focusing on connections more than differences- believing that compassion is a greater force of transformation than pain, regret, or shame.
And we in the ABC’s group are acting: With a vision of creating educational initiatives and a mission of collaboration with Western and other students for our mutual transformation. Currently, we have 2 projects:
First: we are inspired by the 8th principle and are discovering new ways to manifest radical visions for racial and social justice. We are working cooperatively with Western’s Woodring College and students in its social justice minor, to develop a cooperative, transformational mentoring program which will open doors in the desired careers of these young people working for social and racial justice and transform us in the process.
And Second: We are doing our own reparations with African Americans and other people of color through the Call Me Mister mentoring program for teachers. We are beginning supporting a couple of African American students at Southern Florida University, throughout their studies to allow them to graduate debt free. Our long range vision for this project is to expand it, to invite greater numbers of UU congregations to follow our lead in the future and thus grow the numbers of teachers of color in our classrooms.
Randy said: I am waiting . . .for a General Assembly
which is filled with a spirit of vision, values, and hope
which builds on a thoughtful and spirit-filled
theology of possibility, inviting all the world and all her people to
a new community -to a new unity.
And we say: We are committed to being those people, working with one another organically: listening, questioning, supporting and being patient with one another. We are being awkward in the not knowing places, brave enough to take first steps without knowing what next steps will be and kind to each other, bringing the best out of each of us. We are inspired in the knowing that together, we are enough to create meaningful transformation, equally, in us and in those we are companioning. This is the work that the new ABC’s – Actions for Beloved Community, aspires to, to bring forth racial and social justice with trust, vision and lived values.
