Fear’s pronoun is singular: I’ve got to watch out for me and mine. Love’s pronoun is plural: we’re in this together, and together we can grow things that will blossom even in a time of drought. –Rev. Kathleen McTigue

I think our Town Hall meeting went well yesterday. I think we noticed that we are in this together, even if we don’t agree on the UUA’s Article II proposed changes. The important thing is we talked about it. We asked questions. We listened to one another. That’s how our faith blossoms and embraces us all.

We started our meeting with a chalice lighting and the simple phrase (attributed to Francis David, who may or may not have said it exactly like this): “We don’t have to think alike to love alike.” It’s because we love one another, hold one another with trust and respect, that we are able to disagree about how to articulate our faith, or even what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist.

When we center love, and our relationships, we foster creative conflict instead of divisiveness. This requires us to hold the inherent worth and dignity of each person at the center. I think we were able to do this yesterday. I want you to know that this is a big culture shift. We weren’t always like this. Our meetings haven’t always gone so smoothly when we disagree. But, we’ve learned and we’ve grown together and this has transformed us. It makes us stronger and that means we can be more effective in the world.

We have to be able to disagree. That’s a part of our responsible search for truth and meaning. It’s a part of accepting one another and encouraging spiritual growth. It’s the only way to uproot systemic oppression and transform our institutions towards pluralism and inclusivity. That’s liberating love in action.

Thank you to all who participated yesterday. I hope to see more of you at our next Town Hall meeting (date still to be determined). Please see me if you need the materials to read and study in order to inform your opinion about this very important change in our Unitarian Universalist faith.